Parag Desai, executive director at Gujarat Tea Processors and Packers, which is known for its brand Wagh Bakri passed away on October 22, a week after he was injured in an accident.
According to a report by Ahmedabad Mirror, Desai was admitted to Shelby Hospital on October 15 after he slipped outside his residence trying to fight street dogs that attacked him. He suffered severe head injuries during the fall that led to brain haemorrhage.
Outrage over stray animal menace
While social media users and the community grieve the loss of the visionary, many are questioning when the authorities will take action on the street dog menace.
In the wake of the people raising question over management of stray animals, co-founder of NGO Helping Hooks, which works for animal welfare, has come to fore to reveal the fact that Desai was in fact 'an animal lover'.
Desai was an animal lover, says animal welfare activist
Annie Thakur, taking to X, posted a picture of WaghBakri gifting 2 Mobile Treatment Van for treating our stray animals to Jivdaya Trust, a non-profitable animal welfare organisation which provides care and medical aids to injured stray birds and animals.
Along with the picture, she wrote, "My heartfelt condolences to his family. He had a brain haemorrhage following a fall. May his soul rest in peace. He was an animal lover, it's an unfortunate accident. Request to the media to not sully the memory of a good man by writing stories to build hatred against stray animals."
Parag Desai credited for brand's expansion
Parag Desai is survived by wife Vidisha and daughter Parisha. An MBA from Long Island University in the US, Desai, oversaw sales, was an expert tea taster and evaluator and marketing and export departments for the Rs 1,500 crore group that was founded by his great grandfather.
He was the son of Rasesh Desai, the Managing Director of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group. Desai is survived by his wife and daughter Vidisha and Parisha.
He expanded the brand into tea lounges and introduced new products like iced tea. He was also active on industry platforms like the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and international organisations and was also associated with charities like Blind People's Association and Jivdaya Charitable Trust, which runs an animal hospital in Ahmedabad.
