Sanjay Shah: This is what led to freak death of Vistex CEO

Sanjay Shah, the CEO of Illinois-based tech firm, Vistex, died after sustaining severe injuries in a freak accident during his company's silver jubilee celebrations.

Last week, Shah, 56, and his company president Raju Datla, 52, were involved in a horrifying fall while attempting to make a special aerial entrance in front of 700 employees at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India.

The men were suspended in the air in a small iron cage that was meant to be lowered as part of the ill-fated stunt but the cage wiggled due to a sudden chain breaking, causing both to fall off and land 15 feet below the stage.

Shah died at a hospital after the incident, while Datla sustained a severe head injury and remains in critical condition.

Who was Sanjay Shah?

Originally from Mumbai, Shah was a tech entrepreneur who founded Vistex, a firm specialising in revenue management solutions and services, in 1999, according to The New York Post.

He was also the CEO, and chief architect of Vistex with 20 global offices and more than 2,000 employees, serving leading brands.

Shah, who studied at Lehigh University, played a pivotal role in leading Vistex to become a prominent player in the industry, The Hindustan Times reported.

He founded the Vistex Institute for Executive Learning and Research at Lehigh University.

He was also active in philanthropy through the establishment of the Vistex Foundation which provides grants to non-profits focusing on health, education, and basic needs.