Five-time Indian National Rally champion Hari Singh remains missing following a speedboat crash in the Maldives that involved seven people, including industrialist Gautam Singhania, owner of the Raymond Group.
According to PTI, the speedboat overturned early on Saturday morning. Those on board included Hari Singh, who was the head of operations at JK Tyre Motorsport, Singhania, two women from the UK and Russia, and three other Indian men. Hari Singh and the boat’s captain remain unaccounted for. A source told PTI that authorities in the Maldives have informed them that Hari Singh and the captain are reportedly believed to be trapped deep within a coral reef, though the possibility of their death is not being ruled out.
Singhania reportedly suffered minor injuries in the accident and returned to Mumbai for recovery.
A report by The Press, a Maldives-based news outlet, stated that the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday near Vaavu Atoll. Vaavu Atoll Council President Sujau Ali said to the outlet that the vessel was travelling at approximately 72 km/h, nearly twice the usual operating speed of around 42 km/h for standard Gulf craft in Maldivian waters. The launch reportedly flipped during the journey, though it remained unclear whether it struck a reef. Authorities are said to be continuing investigations into the cause of the accident.
According to The Press, Singhania was rescued and taken to a medical facility in Vaavu Atoll, where he reportedly refused to provide personal information required for treatment and asked staff to “Google” his details. Sources reportedly indicate he sustained multiple injuries. He was later flown back to India, where he received treatment at a Mumbai hospital before being discharged.
The Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard reportedly deployed divers and aerial surveillance assets as part of an ongoing search and rescue operation, with efforts intensified amid strong currents and challenging reef conditions. The High Commission of India in Maldives is reportedly working closely with Maldivian authorities to provide consular assistance.
Social media commentary has also drawn attention to the incident. Rally driver Ratan Dhillon posted on X, saying Hari Singh was “left behind in open waters” while the support boat reportedly took Singhania and two female passengers to safety. Dhillon wrote that Singhania reportedly confirmed to police that he was driving the boat at the time and reportedly did not provide his personal information when treated in Felidhu for injuries. Dhillon described the event as a failure of support in critical moments, adding that Gautam Singhania had not provided a formal explanation of what happened.
These statements in the post have not been independently verified. The post is pinned below.
According to another Maldives-based news website, The Maldives Independent, which cited Dhivehi media outlet Dhauru.com, also says that sources told Dhauru that Singhania was driving the high-speed Cigarette racing boat from his yacht TT Ashena and that those on board were reportedly intoxicated at the time.
One of the rescued Indian men reportedly lost a hand in the accident.
Hari Singh, 59, was widely known as “The Flying Sikh” and had won the National Rally Championship five times in the 1990s. He had also won the inaugural edition of the Asia Zone Rally Championship.
(With inpuits from PTI)