Ahmedabad (PTI): Wagh Bakri Tea Group executive director Parag Desai died at a hospital here in Gujarat while being treated for severe brain injuries suffered after a fall, a senior company official said on Monday.

Desai, 50, suffered severe brain haemorrhage after falling on a hard surface while going for a walk outside his residence on the evening of October 15, the official said.

"Desai fell and suffered a brain haemorrhage, and fainted. He was immediately shifted to a private hospital, and from there to another hospital where he underwent brain surgery. He was kept under observation, and breathed his last at around 7 pm on Sunday," said the company official who is close to the Desai family.

Another official said Desai suffered a fall while trying to escape from stray dogs when out on an evening walk.

Desai was one of the two executive directors on the board of the Ahmedabad-based tea group, the other being Paras Desai.

Parag Desai was the son of Managing Director Rasesh Desai. He had done his MBA from Long Island University in the USA. He spearheaded sales, marketing and export departments for the group and was an expert tea tester and evaluator.

Wagh Bakri Tea Group is one of the country's leading packaged tea companies with a turnover of over Rs 2,000 crore and more than 50 million kgs of distribution. It is well-known for its premium tea and has been in business since 1892 when it was founded by Narandas Desai.

"Very sad news coming in. Parag Desai, Director and owner of Wagh Bakri Tea passed away. He had a brain haemorrhage following a fall. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to the entire Wagh Bakri family across India," Congress' Rajya Sabha member Shaktisinh Gohil posted on X .

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New Delhi, Dec 11: India has described as "fake" and "completely fabricated" a media report claiming that a "secret memo" was issued by New Delhi in April to take "concrete" measures against certain Sikh separatists, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Sunday that the report is part of a "sustained disinformation campaign" against India and the outlet that published it is known for propagating "fake narratives" peddled by Pakistani intelligence.

The report was published by online American media outlet "The Intercept".

"We strongly assert that such reports are fake and completely fabricated. There is no such memo," Bagchi said.

"This is part of a sustained disinformation campaign against India. The outlet in question is known for propagating fake narratives peddled by Pakistani intelligence. The posts of the authors confirm this linkage," he added.

"Those who amplify such fake news do so only at the cost of their own credibility," Bagchi said, responding to media queries on the report.

In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled the allegation of "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Nijjar on Canadian soil on June 18.

India strongly dismissed the charges, terming them "absurd".

"The Intercept", in its report, claimed that the Indian government issued instructions on a "crackdown scheme" against certain Sikh entities in western countries.

It further claimed that the secret memorandum issued by the MEA in April lists several "Sikh dissidents under investigation by India's intelligence agencies, including the Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar".