Cyrus Mistry's last rites updates: Funeral underway at Worli crematorium

Former Chairman of Tata Sons, Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, will be cremated at 11am today. The business tycoon died in a road accident on Sunday near Mumbai. Cyrus Mistry’s last rites will be performed at the Worli crematorium. KPMG director Jehangir Pandole, who was also in the car at the time it crashed, passed away too. Another friend Darius Pandole and his doctor-wife Anahita Pandole, who was driving the car, have been admitted to a hospital. 

The group was returning from Udawada after attending the Parsi religious function of Behram Roj. The police said that the accident occured due to overspeeding and error of judgment. Mistry and Pandole who were at the rear seat did not have their seat belts on, while Darius and Anahita who were in the front seats, had their seat belts on. Pandole reportedly lost control of the car and crashed into the divider. 

Cyrus Mistry is survived by his wife Rohiqa, sons Firoz and Zahan, mother Patsy Mistry, sisters Laila Rustom Jehangir and Aloo Noel Tata, and brother Shapoor Mistry.

Here are the updates:

11:50 am: Milind Deora, Ratan Tata's mother Simone Tata, Akash Ambani are at the funeral.

11:40 am: Dr Anahita Pandole, who was driving the car at the time of the crash, is a well-known obstetrician and gynaecologist. Her husband Darius Pandole was also in the car.

Cyrus Mistry death: Who is Dr Anahita Pandole, driver of the crashed car?

11:30 am: Mayank Gandhi credited Mistry for being involved in finding a permanent solution through water harvesting and management for droughts, often the reason for farmer suicides.

'Empathetic to villagers': These Cyrus Mistry pics will remind you of Shah Rukh Khan in Swades

11:15 am: Social activist Mayank Gandhi said the industrialist was a "sensitive and empathetic listener" and worked towards the upliftment of farmers who were impacted by the droughts.  

11:00 am: Anil Ambani arrived with his sons. Deepak Parekh and Ronnie Screwvala had arrived earlier.

10:55 am: Jehangir Pandole, who lost his life along with Cyrus Mistry was the former director at the London office of KPMG’s GSG from 2014-19. Pandole was a director at KPMG Global Services (KGS) and was responsible for driving the usage of KGS – KPMG’s offshore centre in India– via marketing and benefits of usage across advisory service lines. 

Cyrus Mistry death: Jehangir Pandole, the co-passenger who got killed, was a KPMG director

10:47 am: The car they were travelling in had the highest safety rating. The Rs 50-lakh Mercedes-Benz GLC was awarded the highest 5-star safety rating by Euro NCAP.

10:44 am: NCP MP Supriya Sule arrives at the Worli crematorium. 

10:36 am: The police said that the car covered 20 km distance in mere 9 minutes after crossing the Charoti check post in Palghar, 120 kms away from Mumbai. After this, the car hit a road divider on the Surya river bridge.

10:31 am: Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway, where the fatal car crash took place, is very dangerous. Gadkari today said that the six-lane roads are required to handle the traffic of 20,000 or more PCUs (Passenger Car Units). As the traffic on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway is 1,25,000 PCUs, the chances of collision are not unusual, he said at the IAA Global Summit.

10:25 am: Anand Mahindra urges his followers on social media to always wear seatbelts in the rear seat of the car. 

10:20 am: The company said that Mistry was known for his transparency and integrity in his business dealings. "He was extremely humble, approachable to all, and always lent a helping hand to the less fortunate," it said.

10:10 am: "CPM, as he was fondly known, was a voracious reader, committed to a journey of lifelong learning across multiple disciplines. Despite his success, he always kept a low profile, away from the limelight," the official statement by Shapoorji Pallonji said.