Palghar Police on Saturday filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Mumbai-based gynecologist Anahita Pandole for rash and careless driving that led to the death of billionaire investor Cyrus Mistry.
The police case was registered after testimony was taken by Anahita’s husband Darius Pandole, who survived the car crash and was discharged from a Mumbai hospital in late October.
Anahita Pandole, a gynecologist at Breach Candy Hospital, was driving when the accident happened. She is still in intensive care, receiving treatment, according to Palghar Police.
The FIR, filed under various sections of India’s Penal Code and Motor Vehicle Act, comes two months after the death of the former Tata Sons chairman.
Darius’ brother Jehangir Pandole, a director in the London office of KPMG’s Global Strategy Group, also died in the accident. He sat next to Mistry in the back seat of the ill-fated Mercedes GLC 220 D.
While Mistry and Jehangir died shortly after the car crashed into a partition in Palghar district of Maharashtra, the other two were injured.
Mistry and the Pandoles had gone to Udwada where Parsis have their main fire temple. Shapoorji Pallonji Group completed the renovation of Iranshah Atash Behram Fire Temple last year.
Darius Pandole told police on Tuesday that his wife Anahita was driving the Mercedes-Benz in the third lane and could not enter the second lane because it narrowed at the Surya River Bridge in the Palghar district of Maharashtra. A car in front of their vehicle moved from the third to the second lane and Anahita also tried to follow it.
The statement was recorded by authorities at Kasa Police Station in Palghar, where the accident happened on September 4. His statement was reportedly recorded for an hour and a half at his home in south Mumbai, during which he gave details of the accident.
The Mistry family is Tata Sons’ largest single shareholder with an 18.4% stake. Cyrus Mistry was identified as Ratan Tata’s successor in 2011. He took the helm at Bombay House in 2013. However, the relationship between the two deteriorated after Mistry made certain decisions to close some non-remunerated businesses and default on certain Tata commitments in the interest of rehabilitating the group’s ailing businesses.
Darius, who served as a non-executive independent director on the board of Tata Global Beverages, also resigned in December 2016 shortly after Mistry was removed from the chairmanship of Tata Sons. Pandole had voted against the resolution to overthrow Mistry.
Before joining Tata Group, Mistry had relinquished day-to-day operational control of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, his family business which has interests ranging from engineering and construction to real estate, in favor of his brother Shapoor Mistry.
Mistry’s attempt to regain the lost job fell through earlier this year when the Supreme Court dismissed motions filed by Cyrus Investments Pvt Ltd and Sterling Investments Pvt Ltd to review the March 2021 Apex Court ruling that ruled Mistry’s removal as chairman of Tata Sons confirmed.
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