| Tushar Makwana | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 February 1967 Jinja, Uganda |
| Died | 12 February 2004 (aged 37) Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, England |
| Cause of death | Manslaughter |
| Occupation | Radio presenter |
| Employer | 100.7 Heart FM |
Tushar Makwana (2 February 1967-12 February 2004) was an award winning British radio personality, killed in a hit-and-run incident during a botched robbery attempt at his home in Birmingham, England.
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The youngest of three children, Makwana was born in Jinja, Uganda and moved to Britain when he was four years old with his family after they and many other Asians were forced out of Uganda under Idi Amin's regime[1].
Interested in radio from a young age, Makwana ran a mobile disco as a teen and helped teach other youngsters about broadcasting. His first experience of broadcasting was as a volunteer at Walsall Hospital Radio, where he once held the position of chairman.
Makwana became involved in professional radio whilst working at a credit analyst in London[1]. Working first at Radio Brockley in Stanmore and then at Radio Northwick Park in Harrow, Makwana quickly progressed and he soon left Radio Northwick Park to work for AA Roadwatch providing travel bulletins for the BBC.
In 1997 Makwana moved to 100.7 Heart FM to present a variety of different shows on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. In 2002 Makwana won a Silver Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards for a show he had presented about UB40.
At approximately 4.20 AM on Monday, 9 February, 2004, a group of teenagers broke into Makwana's house in Birmingham in an effort to steal the keys to Makwana's BMW parked outside. Makwana confronted the intruders, chasing them out of the house, but was knocked down by their getaway car and suffered serious head injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Heartlands Hospital and was later transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where his wife, Deepika, began a bedside vigil. Despite efforts to save him, Makwana's injuries proved too severe and the decision to turn off his life support system was made on Thursday 12 February.