Jaibans Singh
An iconic sportsman from Punjab, a former naval officer and ace sailor died in a murky accident at sea in the Maldives probably due to the fault of an Indian billionaire. The matter is pushed down so deep that the great loss is not mourned across the nation, what to speak of justice.
Hari Singh from Punjab was an ace rally driver who took to the sport in the 1990’s and dominated it for many decades. He was given nicknames like the “Flying Sikh” and “Gypsy King” the latter due to his love for Maruti Gypsy as a sporting vehicle. None in the world could control the Maruti Gypsy like he did. His defining moment in the sport was to win the inaugural Asia Zone Rally Championship in 2000. He was also the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) winner for a record five times
After seeking retirement from professional rallying Hari Singh was working as Head of Operations at JK Tyre Motorsport, a major industrial conglomerate predominantly owned by the Singhania family of Bombay who are also owners of the Raymond brand with Gautam Singhania as the boss. He also worked as a Chief Instructor for Mercedes-Benz India, where he trained and mentored a new generation of drivers
Mahesh Ramachandran is a former Naval officer and naval aviator. He was an ace sailor sportsman who participated in dingy and match racing. He has multiple national and international titles in sailing. He won a Bronze Medal in the 2002 Asian Games and a Silver Medal in the 2006 Asian Games. Mahesh was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2001 for his exceptional contribution in yachting. Presently, Mahesh was the captain of TT Ashena, a luxury yacht owned by Gautam Singhania.
Gautam Singhania is an Indian billionaire industrialist. He is the chairman and managing director of the Raymond Group, and involved in many other businesses including JK Tyres. He has a propensity to stay in the news because of suppressive behaviour towards his family members including his father and his wife and children. He is also known for an extremely flamboyant lifestyle marked with indulgence in speed – be it motorsports, speedboats or aircraft.
The Tragedy
Gautam Singhania had organised a holiday in the Maldives aboard his yacht TT Ashena. Among his guests were two women, a British and a Russian, and his two friends Manek Bhardwaj and Jagdish Singh Athani. Hari Singh was present more as a high profile employee of his company and Mahesh Ramchandran was the captain of his yacht.
In the early hours of Friday (20 March, 26), Gautam Singhania decided to take his friends for a joy ride on a high-performance Cigarette racing speedboat. Obviously, the group would have been partying and merrymaking. Substance abuse under such circumstances cannot be ruled out.
Reliable sources have confirmed that Gautam Singhania was piloting the speedboat. This is a gross violation of Maldivian law which lays down that foreigners are not allowed to drive any recreational vessels. The violation is obvious since there was no Maldivian on board.
It is also reliably learnt that the speedboat was being steered at an insanely high speed which caused it to spiral out of control and overturn in the turbulent waters of Felidhoo Islands, Vaavu Atoll, throwing the passengers into the sea.
Maldivian authorities, including specialised coast guard divers, launched an extensive search-and-rescue operation. Five of the passengers including Singhania were located early in the rescue operation. Of these Manek Bhardwaj severely injured his arm which has led to an amputation of the same. Singhania escaped with minor injuries. Hari Singh and Mahesh Ramachandran were reported missing
Hari Singh’s body was found after 48 hours of intensive search near a coral reef formation close to the site of the incident. The body of Mahesh Ramachandran has still not been found.
Hari Singh and Mahesh Ramachandran, being sportsmen, were the fittest of the group. Yet, they drowned. This is possible only if they were entangled in some debris of the overturned boat or got temporarily stunned by the impact leading to unconsciousness and subsequent drowning.
In the sequence of events till this point, some questions are raised
- Was it proper for the party headed by Singhania to take the speedboat into the open sea in the middle of the night when turbulence in Vaavu Atoll was expected?
- The speedboat was being used as a tender attached to the yacht. So, who was the owner of the speedboat? Why was a pilot of the holding firm not present in the speedboat? Does the matter not come under the scanner for gross negligence and breaking of mandatory protocols?
- Has the post-mortem of the body of Hari Singh identified the circumstances that led to the death of such a strong athlete when the others survived?
The Aftermath
Within about 24 hours, Singhania left the Maldives and returned to Mumbai. There has been no indication that he was treated as an accused person by the Maldivian authorities. The departure seems to have been allowed after a small preliminary statement.
It is notable here that Singhania left Maldives before the body of Hari Singh was recovered and while the search for Mahesh Ramachandran is still continuing. His friend Manek Bhardwaj also came back and is probably being treated in Banglore. Jagdish Singh Athani was in the hospital in Maldives for some time; he too may have come back by now. There is no news/location of the females who were part of the group.
One wonders as to how the Maldivian authorities are conducting the investigation considering that the Key witnesses are not available for examination? This is the situation when there are many pointers towards a gross disregard of safety protocols.
Even the sequence of events is based on conjecture. Has the police carried out a full on-site reconstruction of events? Were Singhania and others subjected to a medical examination post the accident, if so, what was the result? Was substance abuse detected? Has the police confirmed as to who was piloting the speedboat?
The situation gives rise to a doubt that the Maldivian authorities are attempting to put the unfortunate matter under the carpet Since: –
- It has a potential of negatively impacting the image of the nation that survives on tourism.
- The central character, Gautam Singhania, has used money and influence to put the matter under wraps.
Surprisingly, even the media has concentrated more on the well-being of Singhania rather than the death/disappearance of two icons of Indian sports. Nobody seems to be questioning the lack of transparency in the investigative process and the inadequate level of information that is floating around.
The manner in which Singhania has left his friends out in the cold in Maldives despite being responsible for them and the manner in which he is using all means fair and foul to save his skin is yet another blot on his already tainted persona.
Recommended Stand by India
Maldives would like to write-off the matter as yet another example of arrogance and misconduct of Indian tourists, especially the super-rich.
India, however, has to look at the confirmed death of one Indian with another missing on foreign shores very seriously. The matter gains more gravity since those involved are iconic sportsmen of our country. We have to ensure justice to their families.
- The India External Affairs Ministry, therefore, needs to insist upon a comprehensive inquiry into the incident and submission of the detailed report to India which clearly identifies the safety norms and protocols that the Maldivian tourist operators have ignored. Those responsible need to be held accountable.
- The Indian authorities also need to insist upon a detailed investigation and report from the Maldivian authorities on the complicity of Gautam Singhania in not adhering to safety protocols for himself, his guests and his employees that led to this terrible accident. If legal procedures permit he should be charged with “Causing death by negligence” under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code now carried forward in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita with similar wording.
In the interim, an advisory needs to be given to Indian tourists to avoid going to Maldives in view of its faulty security protocols that are leading to physical harm and death of tourists.
Recommended Stand by Punjab
Punjab has lost a great son of the soil. The state cannot sit back while the family suffers and fights alone.
The family must pursue the case with the National Commission of Minorities to get justice for a Sikh whose cause of death is being brushed under a carpet by intolerable use of money and influence.
The state unit of BJP, Sri Akal Takht, and Members of Parliament from Punjab must take up the case with the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure that justice is meted out to a brave and iconic son of the Punjabi soil.
Concluding Statement
Singhania may be a high-profile billionaire industrialist. However, those who have lost their lives are more highly respected in India than he is.
He may not be responsible for the accident but the callous and inhumane manner in which he has left his friends and fellow Indian in the lurch in a foreign country and come back to India to save his worthless skin is highly condemnable.
The people of Maharashtra, known for their nobility, sense of justice and humanitarian outlook must look and Singhania’s act as a slur on their good name. The Government of Maharashtra needs to exhibit solidarity to those Indian citizens who have suffered in the hands of a Maharashtrian and take all measures to ensure justice and solace to the aggrieved families.
Monetary compensation cannot make up for the loss of the families or bring back the legends Hari Singh and Mahesh Ramchandran. What needs to be done now is to extend to them the respect that they deserve by holding to account those responsible for the negligence that caused their death and those who showed no concern for the good name of the nation or their inconsolable families