Delhi’s Taj Mansingh hotel lost its longest-staying guest on Thursday with the sudden demise of Dadi Balsara (81) — founder of prominent packaged drinking water brand Himalayan Waters. Balsara was staying in the five-star hotel for the past 37 years and owed over Rs 2 crore to the hotel in the form of paid bills.
Balsara, who had no children and is survived by two brothers, had married a Singaporean national who also passed away in 2009. “He was residing at the hotel since 1977 and was given suite number-901 on a concession. His estimated bill amount was Rs 202,575,000,” said police.
He died in the wee hours of Thursday in Delhi’s Taj Mansingh hotel where he was putting up for the last 37 years. The incident took place around 2:30 am when Balsara was in his hotel room. Balsara was highly diabetic and a cardiac patient as well undergoing treatment at South Delhi’s Max Hospital. An attendant from Max Hospital who was looking after him inside the hotel room served him dinner at 9:30 pm after which he went to sleep. “He again woke up around 11:30 pm and around 2:30 am, his caretaker woke up to check on him and switched on his mobile phone torch to find him motionless,” said a police official. His caretaker immediately informed his manager at 2:52 am and he was rushed to Max Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
Balsara had founded the ‘Mount Everest Mineral Water’ company in 1991 and later the Tata group, through Tata Global Beverages limited acquired the company from him in 2001.
Police officials had received a PCR call around 7 pm after which they rushed to the hospital. The body has been sent for post-mortem. He was the eldest among his three brothers. His younger brother, who is a cardiologist based in Jamshedpur, has arrived in the Capital for the last rites. Sources revealed that he has around Rs 250 crores in his bank. Prima facie it appears that he died of a cardiac arrest. Further investigations are underway.