Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and a co-passenger were not wearing seat belts when the accident happened, a police officer said on Sunday. Moreover, "over-speeding and the error of judgement" by the driver might have caused the accident, they added.
The luxury car covered 20 kilometres in just 9 minutes after crossing the Charoti check post in the Palghar district, 120 km away from Mumbai, the primary investigation revealed, according to news agency PTI.
"While analysing the footages captured by CCTV cameras at the Charoti check post, Palghar Police found that the car had crossed the check post around 2.21 pm and the accident occurred 20 km ahead (in the direction of Mumbai)," an official was quoted as saying. "This shows the Mercedes car covered 20 km of distance (from the cheek post) in just 9 minutes," he added.
Also, sources in the Maharashtra police said that during the investigation, it was revealed that the airbags of the rear seats didn't open, "and that's why the collusion hit Cyrus and Jehangir harder."
Cyrus Mistry and one Jahangir Pandole, who were in the back seats, were killed on the spot when their car hit a road divider on the bridge on the Surya river in Maharashtra's Palghar on Sunday.
The car was driven by Mumbai-based gynaecologist Anahita Pandole (55). She and her husband, Darius Pandole, were seriously injured in the accident, reports said.
The hospital has officially handed over the bodies to the families. However, the families have requested JJ hospital to keep the bodies at the hospital for sometime as relatives are yet to reach Mumbai.
Also Read: Cyrus Mistry killed in car crash: PM Modi, Gadkari, Anand Mahindra, others offer condolences
Also, at 5.30 am on Monday, ambulances with Dr Anahita Pandole and Darius Pandole left for Mumbai's Reliance hospital by road. A green corridor was made by the police for this movement.
Meanwhile, an official said Anahita Pandole needs to undergo a surgery while her husband has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital in Mumbai.
Anahita Pandole to be booked?
Sources said police are "waiting for RTO (Regional Transport Officer) officers and forensic teams to submit their reports". On the basis of that report, they will decide if Anahita Pandole would be booked for "overspeeding and negligence" or not.
"Since the accident, she is not in a condition to give us any statement.
Darius Pandole is in ICU and Dr Anahita Pandole is undergoing a surgery at Reliance hospital at present," sources said.
Mistry's last rites tomorrow
The last rites of former Chairman of Tata Sons, Cyrus Mistry will be performed at 10 am on Tuesday at Worli crematorium in Mumbai.
The autopsy of both Cyrus and Jehangir was conducted by doctors of the state-run J J Hospital in Mumbai in the early hours of Monday, hospital officials said.
Mistry was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the $300-billion salt-to-software Tata conglomerate, in a boardroom coup in 2016, sparking a long-drawn-out legal tussle on which India's top court eventually ruled in Tata Group's favour.
(With inputs from PTI)
(Edited by : Akriti Anand)
First Published: Sept 5, 2022 10:13 AM IST
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