Barmer (Rajasthan), Sep 21: Three people, including a minor, were killed after Arjun awardee rally driver Gaurav Gill's car hit a motorcycle during a National Rally Championship race here on Saturday.

Gill, who became the first motorsport driver to be conferred the Arjuna award earlier this year, has sustained injuries in his ribs and is also facing respiratory problems due to the crash during the Maxperience Rally, Round 3 of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC).

He has been kept under observation but is learnt to be out of danger.

The deceased Narendra, his wife Pushpa and their young son Jitendra were killed on the spot. The Rally has been called off due to the incident.

"Gaurav's was the first car on Stage 1. He was driving at a speed of 145kmph while taking a sharp left turn and within 5m-10m, collided with the motorcycle, which was right on the middle of the road," Vamsi Merla, promoter of INRC, told PTI on Saturday.

"Gaurav tried his best to pull the brakes but because of the speed, but he was unable to do anything," he added.

The NRC promoter alleged that despite repeated warnings highlighting the closure of the road during competition, the villagers broke the barricades put in place.

"We had been giving warning about the road closure to the villagers for the past 15 days. There were field marshals but one of the deceased (Narendra) argued with them and when the marshals were looking away, the man broke the barricade and entered the track," he said.

"It was an unfortunate incident that took place despite all the safety measures being in place," J Prithiviraj, president of FMSCI said.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. The entire motorsports fraternity stands with them in their grief," he added.

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Ranchi, Apr 4 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted multi-state searches, including at the premises of the private secretary of former Jharkhand health minister Banna Gupta, as part of a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, official sources said.

The officials of the federal probe agency raided 21 locations in Jharkhand, Delhi and West Bengal under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

Premises linked to Om Prakash Singh, Gupta, apart from that of "key suspects", including consultants and former executives of associated firms, were raided early morning. A security team of central paramilitary personnel accompanied the officials of the federal probe agency.

Locations of officials linked to the Jharkhand State Arogya Society (JSAS), employees and offices of Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) like MD India, Safeway, Medi Assist and their associates were also raided, they said.

There was no immediate response to the ED action by Gupta or his PS.

ED teams raided a house in Mango locality and a nursing home along NH-33 in Jamshedpur city apart from locations in Ashok Nagar and Bariyatu in state capital Ranchi.

In Kolkata, the offices of some "entry operators" or hawala dealers are being raided, the sources said.

The ED, agency sources said, suspects that "proceeds of crime" were generated through systematic "fraud" within the Ayushman Bharat scheme through "manipulation" of hospital empanelment and processing of "fake" claims facilitated by a "nexus" demanding commissions and kickbacks.

Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of the Union government which aims to achieve universal health coverage for citizens.