- Billionaire businessman Sunjay Kapur collapsed during a polo match in England on June 12.
- Initial reports suggested he may have suffered an anaphylactic shock from a bee sting.
- Eyewitnesses claim Kapur experienced a heart attack rather than choking or a bee sting.
Billionaire businessman and Chairman of Sona Comstar, Sunjay Kapur, collapsed during a polo match in England on June 12. The sudden death of Mr Kapur, 53, has sent shockwaves through India's corporate circle and beyond. Early unconfirmed reports speculated that he may have suffered an anaphylactic shock after allegedly swallowing a bee. While playing polo, a bee is said to have flown into Sunjay's mouth and stung him, which triggered a heart attack.
He reportedly complained to the umpire that he was choking and may have swallowed something. However, individuals at the match denied such reports and said it was a bee sting.
Sources close to the family and eyewitnesses believe the likely cause of the death was a massive heart attack. A final post-mortem, which will provide clarity on the cause of the death, is awaited.
NDTV spoke to Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director at Medanta, to understand the possible causes of death.
"It can happen as an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting, though it is not very common," said Dr Trehan.
"The question mark will remain whether the bee got into his mouth, which caused the problem, or he had a heart attack because of choking or a heart attack while playing polo," added Dr Trehan.
Cardiologist Dr Trehan reiterated the need for a post-mortem, which will be conducted in London, to get clarity on the cause of death.
"There are too many heart attacks occurring in young people. Intense activity like polo can put stress," Dr Trehan said.
But can a bee sting cause a heart attack? Speaking to NDTV, Dr Ashish Agrawal, Director of Cardiology at Aakash Healthcare, said that normally, if a bee stings the tongue, it will cause a mild allergic reaction, but in some patients, it could lead to a heart attack.
"If the tongue gets stung, the bee's venom immediately dissolves into the blood, and that blood can cause a process which is called an allergic reaction. Now, normally, a patient can have a mild form of allergic reaction, like just mild itching, and that's all," he said.
"But in certain individuals, those patients who are predisposed to allergens, they can have a severe form of allergy, which is called anaphylaxis. And this can cause a cardiac arrest," he said.
In August 2022, polo player Madhav Buchi Prakash suffered a heart attack while playing polo at a Delhi ground.
Mr Kapur is survived by his wife, Priya, and son, Azarius.
He had married twice before he met model-turned-entrepreneur Priya. He first married Mumbai-based fashion designer Nandita Mahtani. The two parted their ways in 2000.
In 2003, Sunjay married actor Karisma Kapoor. The couple had two children together -- daughter Samaira and son Kiaan -- before parting ways in 2016.
