Forensic experts to seek Ferrari’s help in Kolkata bizman’s death in car crash

A day after the owner of a prominent Kolkata-based sanitaryware chain died after crashing a Ferrari on National Highway 6 in Howrah district, government forensic experts on Monday decided to contact the Italian carmaker to find out what went wrong.

Shibaji Roy (43), died tragically inside the mangled remains of a newly-imported Ferrari California T near Domjur in Howrah district around 9 am on Sunday, around 23 km west of Kolkata.

Roy’s co-passenger, Ashna Surana, 18, was admitted in critical condition in a private hospital. Ashna is the daughter of Roy’s friend Adarsh Surana.

Roy and some of his friends, all of whom live in Kolkata, went to Howrah around 6 am with their high-performance cars for a long drive. Roy was accompanied by his son. However, when the group was returning to Kolkata, Ashna accompanied Roy.

Eyewitnesses told the police that Roy tried to overtake a truck at high speed but his car hit the walls of a flyover and tumbled several times. Roy was alive after the crash and local people tried to get him out from the vehicle but failed.

Roy’s car was travelling at around 130 km an hour when the accident took place, said a forensic expert who did not wish to be named. “We have collected samples of metal, shattered glass, parts of the car, etc. from the post. The tyre marks indicate that the vehicle skidded for at least 210 feet before crashing,” he said.

“We have to contact Ferrari because cars like these have electronic data recorders that have several modules connected to a computer. Only technical experts at Ferrari can retrieve that data,” the expert said.

News of the accident created ripples in Kolkata on Sunday. Roy, who ran ML Roy and Co Sanitations Pvt. Ltd, a company named after his father, owned several luxury and sports cars.

For Roy and his friends, who all own high-end vehicles that cannot be driven on Kolkata roads at high speed, the Sunday trip was a weekly ritual.