CEO plunges to death trying to make grand entrance at company party

By Vanessa Moyo On Jan 23, 2024 34,808

Vistex CEO Sanjay Shah, who hailed from a Chicago suburb, and company president Ruja Datla, fell in front of a crowd of 700 people, who gathered at the Ramoji Film City studios in Hyderabad, India for an employee celebration. (Picture via X)

The multi-millionaire CEO of a tech company in India plunged to his death after trying to make a theatrical on stage entrance but instead fell 20 feet from a wooden structure suspended above a concrete stage.

According to reports Vistex CEO Sanjay Shah (56) and company president Ruja Datla (52) fell in front of a crowd of 700 people gathered at the Ramoji Film City studios in Hyderabad, India on Thursday for what was meant to be a celebration of the company’s 25 years in business.

The horror incident was captured on video and shows the chain supporting the cage snapping and sending Shah and Dalta plummeting 15 feet down.

“At the time of the accident, music was being played, and Shah and Raju were waving to their staff while being lowered,” a police official told The Times of India.

Dalta fortunately appears to have survived and is reportedly in critical condition with head injuries while Shah later died in hospital.

Shah founded Vistex in 1999 and the multinational software company has grown to have 20 global offices and more than 2,000 employees with an income said to surpass US$300 million.

Vistex clients include Coca-Cola and GM, among others.