CEO killed when elaborate entrance to company party goes wrong

A Chicago area tech CEO was killed last week and the company’s president was seriously injured when an elaborate entrance to a party involving a steel cage went wrong.

>> Read more trending news

Sanjay Shah, 56, founder of the software company Vistex, was killed when he fell 15 feet after being suspended in the air in the metal cage with his company’s president, Raju Datla, 52.

Datla was severely injured in the fall from the cage to the concrete dais below.

The accident happened in India as the two were descending in the specially designed cage with pyrotechnics going off. One of the chains supporting the structure broke, pitching the men to the stage below.

A CBS affiliate in India reported that the accident occurred Thursday night with 700 people in attendance to mark Vistex Asia’s successful 25 years in business.

The accident was posted on social media by some of those at the event.

Datla is in critical condition with a severe head injury, according to CBS.

Vistex has 20 global offices and more than 2,000 employees, according to its website.

© 2024 Cox Media Group