Hyderabad, India – A company event turned into a nightmare when Sanjay Shah, the CEO of Vistex, plummeted to his death during a grand entrance mishap. Shah and Vishwanath Raju Datla, the company’s president, were being lowered onto the stage in an iron cage when a wire snapped, causing the cage to drop.
The horrifying incident unfolded in front of a crowd of employees at the renowned Ramoji Film City, where Vistex Asia was celebrating its silver jubilee. A video recording of the event shows the yellow cage, suspended near the rafters, shaking as fireworks illuminated the surroundings. As a voice encourages the crowd to applaud the two executives, disaster strikes as the cage suddenly lurches to one side, hurtling Shah and Datla approximately 15 feet to the ground with a bone-chilling impact. The footage captures one of the men flipping over and landing head-first.
Tragically, Sanjay Shah did not survive the fall, while Vishwanath Raju Datla sustained critical injuries. While a broken wire has been identified as the initial cause of the accident, a thorough investigation is underway to determine if any other factors, such as issues with the cage, were at play. The cage, equipped with iron wires and grills, was being maneuvered by a rolling machine during the ill-fated descent.
Vistex, an advisory service company with global offices and prestigious clients, including GM, Yamaha, and Coca-Cola, was founded by Sanjay Shah in 1999. Born in Mumbai, India, Shah later moved to the United States to attend business school at Lehigh University, where he earned his MBA at just 21 years old.
As the investigation into this tragic incident continues, the business world mourns the loss of a visionary CEO known for his philanthropy and entrepreneurial spirit. Vistex faces an uncertain future as it grapples with the aftermath of this dreadful accident.