Wagh Bakri owner Parag Desai dies

Ahmedabad: Wagh Bakri Tea Group executive director Parag Desai died at a hospital here in Gujarat of severe brain injuries days after he fell on a hard surface while being chased by stray dogs during an evening walk, a company official said on Monday.  The private hospital where Desai was admitted immediately after the fall on October 15 evening, however, said no marks of dog bite were found on his body.

Desai, 50, suffered a severe brain haemorrhage after falling on a hard surface while going for a walk outside his residence, the company official said.

"Desai fell and suffered a brain haemorrhage, and fainted. He was immediately shifted to a private hospital, and from there to another hospital where he underwent brain surgery. He was kept under observation. He breathed his last at around 7 pm on Sunday," said the official who is close to the Desai family.

Shalby Hospital in Ahmedabad, where Desai was shifted after the fall, issued a statement saying "When the patient was brought to the facility in an unconscious state, it was stated that he fell after being chased by dogs, but apparently there were no dog bite marks on his body".

"When the patient was brought to the hospital at around 6 pm (on October 15), he was unconscious and not responding. A CT scan revealed acute subdural hematoma with bilateral frontal contusion. Desai was



admitted to the ICU and advised to be kept under observation and treatment for 72 hours," it said.

Meanwhile, Sarkhej police in the city have registered a case of accidental death. Further investigation is underway, a police official said.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) standing committee chairman Devang Dani said a sad incident happened with Desai.

"As and when we receive complaints from citizens about stray dogs our teams go to that particular area and capture the stray dogs. They are sterilised and released back in the same area as per the guidelines of the high court which we follow," Dani told reporters.

Desai was one of the two executive directors on the board of the Ahmedabad-based tea group, the other being Paras Desai.

Parag Desai was the son of Managing Director Rasesh Desai. He had done his MBA from Long Island University in the USA. He spearheaded sales, marketing and export departments for the group and was an expert tea tester and evaluator.

Wagh Bakri Tea Group is one of the country's leading packaged tea companies with a turnover of over Rs 2,000 crore and more than 50 million kgs of distribution. It is well-known for its premium tea and has been in business since 1892 when it was founded by Narandas Desai.