India has been shocked by the untimely and accidental death of one of the billionaires, Cyrus Mistry. He was not just a business tycoon, but a business tycoon belonging to TATA group of companies. Once, he held the position of the chairman of Tata Group from 2012 to 2016.
His net worth was close to US $29 billion at the time of his death, while he owned 18.4% stake in Tata Sons. This introduction is enough to describe his importance and popularity across all socio-economic groups in the country.
Such a big man dies a gruesome death in a car accident. Not wearing belt could be a contributing factor. At 54, he died on Sunday, when the car, he was travelling in, hit a divider on a highway between Gujarat and Mumbai, near Palghar. There were four people in the car, including 55 years old top Gynaecologist Anahita Pandole (who was at the wheel), her 60 years old husband Darius Pandole (next to driver's seat), his brother Jehangir Pandole on the backseat along with Mistry.
They were returning in a car from Udwada Fire Temple in Gujarat, where they had gone to pray for the departed soul of the father of Pandole brothers. It was not an ordinary car, but the top model of Mercedes-Benz GLC, one of the most luxurious cars, equipped with seven airbags overall and price tag upwards of INR 68 lakhs (approx US$ 85,240). The car was running at high speed, Anahita misjudged and lost control, leading to a deadly crash. It claimed two lives - Jehangir and Mistry, who were not wearing seat belts and airbags did not deploy. Other two survived sustaining serious injuries.
Many lose their lives in similar road accidents in India, a very common phenomenon; the numbers could go in hundreds of thousands every year. No one even bothers to cover such stories. But this time, the story hit the headlines across the global media. What concerns everyone is the topic of road safety and enforcement of laws. Is it even worth discussing? Do people need to be told that wearing belts is quintessential for their safety?
Indian government is planning to introduce new rules such as not wearing seat belts by those sitting in the rear seats could attract fine; installation of alarm in cars for rear seat belts, minimum six airbags, etc. Although, the law mandates wearing seat belts by all occupants, but never enforced for backseat travellers.
However, the government must also focus on road conditions on highways, while their engineering and design are also questionable at many places in India. It does not take a genius to understand that travelling on Indian highways could be fatal at various sites and locations. Pits, potholes, broken patches, blind spots, sudden narrowing of roads and flyovers, are some of the examples of poor maintenance and bad engineering. Although, the citizens pay heavy road tolls, almost everywhere.
The spot where accident happened, according to locals, is accident-prone and has witnessed several accidents in the past claiming many lives.
After postmortem, Mistry's body was cremated in an electric crematorium at Worli, Mumbai. Many luminaries paid their respects.
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