Cyrus Mistry Death: Driver Anahita Pandole serial traffic offender, involved in multiple violations since 2020

After a probe, the police found out that the car was involved in violation of various traffic-related norms in the past, and among those, there 7 instances when Gynecologist Dr Anahita Pandole was behind the wheel.

Gynecologist Dr Anahita Pandole, who was charged with reckless driving that caused industrialist Cyrus Mistry to pass away, has a history of breaking traffic laws and has received challans for speeding multiple times since 2020, a police officer said on Thursday. This was discovered by the police who are looking into the Mistry vehicle accident case in the Palghar region of Maharashtra. 

Former Tata Sons chairman Mistry (54) and his friend Jehangir Pandole were killed after the Mercedes-Benz car hit the railing of the Surya river bridge in Palghar district on September 4 this year. Dr Anahita, who was at the wheel, and her husband Darius suffered serious injuries in the accident. All of them were returning to Mumbai from Ahmedabad. The police official said that during the probe, it was found that the car was involved in violation of various traffic-related norms in the past.

"There were at least seven instances in which Dr Anahita was found behind the wheel and over-speeding, which was captured on speed cameras," Palghar Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil said. These instances were from 2020 till the day of the accident in September 2022, he said, adding the e-challans against her will now be made part of the charge-sheet, he said.

"Those challans were issued for over-speeding involving the same car that was involved in the Palghar accident," he said. The official said that the car was registered in the name of J M Financials and was used by Anahita Pandole.

Patil said the Palghar Police would submit the charge-sheet in the case by the end of this week before the local court, he said. "Police have not recorded Dr Anahita's statement in connection with the accident so far," he said.

The Palghar Police registered a rash driving case against Dr Anahita in November. A case under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (A) (causing death by rash and negligent act), 279 (rash driving on a public road), and 337 (causing death by act endangering life and personal safety of others) besides the Motor Vehicles Act was registered at Kasa police station.

With PTI inputs