Police in Maharashtra's Palghar confirmed that Cyrus Mistry, who had succeeded Ratan Tata as chairman of Tata Sons before being removed in India's most high-profile boardroom coup, had been killed in a car accident on Sunday. He was 54.
Mistry was traveling from Udwada, Gujarat, to Mumbai in a Mercedes, according to the report.
Images from the crash scene depicted the severely damaged remains of the silver Mercedes. The accident occurred when the vehicle struck the median in the Charoti region of Palghar, 135 kilometers from Mumbai.
"Mistry got involved in an accident about 3.15 p.m. while traveling to Mumbai. The incident occurred on a bridge crossing the Surya river. It looks like an accident," Superintendent of police for the district of Palghar, Balasaheb Patil, remarked.
In addition to Mistry, the car contained Jehangir Pandole, Anahita Pandole, and Darius Pandole.
Jehangir Pandole, the brother of Darius Pandole, was also killed in the collision.
Darius Pandole was an independent director of Tata group companies who opposed Mistry's resignation as chairman. He departed the Tata group alongside Mistry.
Darius is Anahita's husband. The automobile was being driven by Anahita Pandole, a well-known gynecologist in Mumbai.
After the accident, Anahita Pandole and Darius Pandole were sent to a private hospital in Vapi, Gujarat.
"They will likely be sent to a hospital in Mumbai on Monday morning," a police official said Sunday night.
A police official informed PTI that the car was rushing and attempted to pass another vehicle from the wrong side (from the left).
The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, has instructed the state police to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the disaster.
Fadnavis, who is also the state's home minister, tweeted, "Spoke with DGP and ordered thorough investigations."
The patriarch of the Mistry family, Pallonji Mistry, Cyrus's father, passed away in June at the age of 93.
Their empire constructed magnificent hotels, stadiums, palaces, and factories throughout Asia, but is now best known for a conflict with the Tata Group.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in lamenting the business magnate's death, describing it as a "huge loss" for the world of commerce and industry.
"Shri Cyrus Mistry's sudden demise is shocking. He was an astute businessman who believed in India's economic strength. His demise is a significant loss to the world of business and industry," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
