A day of celebration took a tragic turn when a tech CEO fell 15 feet to his death in an on-stage mishap in front of shocked employees in India. Sanjay Shah, the CEO of Vistex, an Illinois-based revenue management company, fell during a stage appearance when a cable supporting the iron cage he was performing in snapped.
Video footage has emerged that captures the final moments of Shah before he plunged to his death during his company's anniversary party. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India, during the celebration marking the silver jubilee of Vistex Asia. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Shocking Death in Front of All
Vistex CEO Sanjay Shah and Vistex President Vishwanath Raju Datla were inside an iron cage being lowered onto the stage as part of their grand entrance to a company party at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India when a wire snapped, as reported by the Times of India.
As fireworks shoot from the stage, a voice in the footage urges the crowd to put their hands together.
Suddenly, the cage rapidly tilted to one side, causing the two leaders of the Illinois-based company to plummet 15 feet to the ground, roughly equivalent to a one-story drop.
The video footage shows one of the men completely flipping over and landing head-first on the ground.
Both were promptly taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, Shah succumbed to his injuries, while Vishwanath Raju Datla remains in serious condition, as reported by the Sun.
"Shah and Raju being lowered from the cage onto the dais was a planned event to kickstart the celebrations," a company official told The Times of India.
"Suddenly, one of the two wires attached to the cage snapped. Both plunged more than 15 feet and landed on the concrete dais. This caused multiple injuries," cops said.
Dangerous Stunts End in Tragedy
Following the tragic incident, a case has been lodged against the event management authorities, as per the police.
Vistex, founded by Shah in 1999, has expanded to 20 global offices and employs over 2,000 people. The company boasts clients such as GM, Barilla, and Bayer. Staff had been provided accommodation at Ramoji Film City in preparation for the two-day celebration marking 25 years in business.
Shah, 56 and originally from Mumbai, moved to the United States at the age of 17. He earned his MBA degree from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania at the age of 21.
Shah went on to donate $5 million to establish the Vistex Institute for Executive Education at Lehigh University in 2017. He was also a philanthropist who founded the Vistex Foundation, contributing funds to non-profits dedicated to health, education, and basic needs. Shah is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Datla, the company's president, has been associated with Vistex since 2000.
