In the Xtreme (Four Wheelers) category, six-time winner, Suresh Rana continued to be at the top spot on Day Two, driving a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara.
Rana has a lead of almost a minute-and-a-half over his closest rival Aman Ahluwalia, driving a Maruti Gypsy. At the third place is Harpreet Bawa of Chandigarh, a little more than two minutes behind Rana.
In Raid Adventure, K Prasad from Mysore, driving a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, has a marginal lead over Sanjay Takale of Pune.
The day was also highlighted by the missing of two vehicles, which did not reach their respective check posts on time. They were searched out within minutes by the dedicated helicopter service, which has been deployed at a motorsport event for the first time in the country.
The first rallyist who did not reach the Raid Marshal at Check Post (CP) I was Amittrajit Ghosh, winner of the 3rd J&K Bank Mughal Rally 2012. Ghosh had started the competitive stretch at Gramphoo, but did not reach CP I at Chhatru, which was just eight kilometers away.
The second vehicle to be reported missing was being driven by Along Aiyer of Nagaland, who was untracable between Chhatru and Chhota Darra.
Vijay Parmar, President of Himalayan Motorsport who led the search operation, said the heli-search yielded results within five minutes. It was found that both vehicles had suffered mechanical breakdown.
| 'Karna, TN should go by facts, help each other on Cauvery' |
| Press Trust of India / Bangalore October 09, 2012 11:05 IST |
Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today said agitational approach adds to the problem of the state and requested Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to go by facts and help each other to solve the Cauvery water dispute. |
"Karnataka and Tamil Nadu should go by facts and help each other. That is what courts, CRA and tribunal will also do, but agitational approach adds to the state's problem," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.
Bhardwaj said in this age it does not help treading agitational path as courts do not work under pressure.
"Such problems arose out of the consequences of nature and have to be resolved in a spirit of cooperation between two sister states or adjoining states," he said.
Asked if he has written to the government on Cauvery issue, Bhardwaj said he does not want to write anything on the matter as he believes in meeting people personally.
"Writing is not good because I have good relations with the government. After a long spell of my work here, I have a piece of mind here," he added.
Cauvery basin areas in Karnataka are witnessing intense protests over release of water to Tamil Nadu and a statewide dawn-to-dusk bandh was called by Kannada outfits on Saturday.
Karnataka has been releasing water in line with a Supreme Court directive, asking it to abide by the September 19 Cauvery River Authority (CRA) ruling to spare 9,000 cusecs till October 15.
