E-Paper
Parag Desai death: What hospital that treated him said on dog attack claim
Parag Desai, 49, is survived by his wife and daughter.
The Gujarat hospital that treated Wagh Bakri Tea Group's executive director Parag Desai, has revealed there were no bite marks on his body when he came for treatment on October 15. Desai, the scion of the group whose annual turnover was ₹2000 crore last year, passed away on Sunday, days after he fell warding off street dogs.
Desai, 49, is survived by his wife and daughter.
He was taking a stroll near his house in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on October 15, when he sustained a serious head injury. He was initially admitted to Ahmedabad's Shalby Hospital. After a day, he was transferred to Zydus Hospital in the city.
The Shalby Hospital has revealed there were no bite marks on him. It said in a statement that he was unconscious and not responding when brought to the emergency department of the hospital. “It was stated that the patient fell down after being chased by dogs but apparently there were no dog bite marks on his body,” it said.
The hospital diagnosed him as having acute subdural hematoma with bilateral frontal confusion.
Dr Nishita Shukla, Group COO, Shalby Hospitals, said they had asked to keep him under observation for 72 hours. He was discharged on the request of his relatives.
The company, in an Instagram post, shared, "With profound grief, we regret to inform the sad demise of our beloved Parag Desai".
Desai, the fourth-generation entrepreneur, held an MBA degree from the Long Island University in New York, USA. He spearheaded the company's sales, marketing and export division.
Son of managing director Rasesh Desai, Parag Desai joined the business in 1995. He spearheaded the company's transition into a ₹2000 crore behemoth from ₹100 crore firm.
Meanwhile, Kamna Pandey, an animal rights activist, said on X that Desai was a staunch supporter of street dogs.
"The animal welfare community deeply mourns the passing of Shri Parag Desai, Wagh Bakri Tea group executive Director, who was a generous benefactor of the cause and a staunch supporter of street dogs. His demise is a huge and personal loss to all of us who care about animals," she wrote.
He said since he was a dog lover, it was impossible that he panicked.
"Whereas the official statement of the group as well as the fact is that he died of the brain from the injury sustained in a fall during his morning walk. Given his strong support of street dogs and his familiarity with their behaviour, and it is a well-known fact that dogs can never attack any dog lover, it is not possible that he would have been panicked by them barking or running," she added.
She said the dogs may have been barking to draw attention to Desai seeking help.
"However, when this incessant barking got people’s attention, their perception became that he was attacked," she added.
