Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry cremated in Mumbai

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry, 54, was cremated in Mumbai on Tuesday. The last rites were performed as per Hindu customs in an electric crematorium at Worli in central Mumbai, news agency PTI reported.

Mistry, 54, who headed the salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Sons from 2012-16 before an unceremonious exit, and his friend Jahangir Pandole were killed in a road accident in neighbouring Palghar district of Maharashtra on Sunday afternoon.

Mistry was returning from a visit to Udvada in south Gujarat, which is the holiest place for people following the Zoroastrian faith.

His mortal remains, decorated with white flowers, were brought from the J J Hospital and kept at the Worli crematorium since Tuesday morning for friends, relatives and well-wishers to pay their last respects.

Members of the Parsi community, business leaders and politicians were among those who attended the cremation.

Cyrus Mistry's elder brother Shapoor Mistry, father-in-law and senior lawyer Iqbal Chagla, industrialists Anil Ambani and Ajit Gulabchand and NCP MP Supriya Sule were present at the crematorium.

Mistry and his friend Jahangir Pandole had received multiple injuries and "blunt thorax trauma" in the car accident in which they were killed almost instantly, a medical officer from the J J Hospital said. The injuries also included vein ruptures causing internal bleeding, he said.

Mistry and Pandole were on way to Mumbai from Gujarat along with two other persons when their car hit a divider on a bridge over the Surya river in neighbouring Palghar district, on Sunday afternoon. Mistry and Jahangir Pandole, who were on the back seats, were killed.

"The impact on the bodies of both Mistry and Pandole was sudden and forceful because of the speed of the car. It led to multiple injuries and blunt thorax trauma,” the medical officer said.

“The multiple injuries also included rupturing of veins causing internal bleeding. However, the primary autopsy report could only indicate some vague symptoms. A detailed analysis will explain everything and the exact cause of the death,” he said.

As a standard procedure, the viscera sample will be sent to a forensic science laboratory in Kalina area here for a detailed analysis, he added.

The deceased were not wearing seat belts as per a preliminary probe, a police official earlier said, adding that over-speeding and an "error of judgement" by the driver caused the accident.

Prima facie, the luxury car was speeding when the accident took place, the official had said.

(With inputs from PTI)