Mangaluru Ashwin first Indian to finish on podium in British Rally

March 17, 2016

Mangaluru, Mar 17: Ashwin Naik, a Mangaluru based rallyist, along with his Bengali colleague Amittrajit Ghosh broke a glass ceiling by becoming first Indians to finish on the podium in the British Rally Championship (BRC4) recently.

Former national rally champion Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik scored a class podium in the first round of the BRC4, during the opening round of the 39th Mid Wales Stages Rally in Newtown driving a Ford Fiesta R2T.

The duo were classified 29th out of a total of 31 finishers of the Mid Wales Stages Rally. A twenty second time penalty dropped Ghosh/Naik to third in their class instead of second.

They hit trouble while leading their class with over a 55 seconds lead in the last liaison section at the end of the first day, the duo managed to get their car to the finish and claim a well deserved class podium.

The next round of the BRC is the Circuit of Ireland Rally, which will be held from April 8 to 9.

Ghosh also hopes to start testing a Ford Fiesta R5 mid-year to participate in a round of ERC or WRC2 for some more mileage under his belt.

Amittrajit Ghosh has been competing in motorsport in India since 2005, when he won the Formula Maruti title in the National Racing Championship. His foray in rallying started in 2007 when he won the national rally title in the 1400cc category.

39-year-old Ashwin has won the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm 2012 and the Thunder Bolt SJOBA Sub-Himalayan Rally for four consecutive years (2009-2012). He is the only South Indian to have won the Raid De Himalaya (Extreme) for two consecutive years (2010, 2011). He also ranked first in Round 1 and Round 2 of Thailand 4x4 Championship.

Ashwin also runs the Indian Motor Sports Club, which organizes the Mahindra Great Escape, Nagaland Championship, and, more recently, the Monsoon Challenge rally (from Bangalore to Goa) for Mahindra & Mahindra.

Comments

Well done.. Congrats!!

Superb ... Congrats!!

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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