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Formula E case: T’gana ACB, ED issue summons to KTR
A day later, KTR filed a petition in the high court, seeking to quash the FIR lodged against him. However, the high court refused to quash the FIR and clarified that the agency could go ahead with the investigation into the case.
Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday issued a notice to Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and former municipal administration minister K T Rama Rao, asking him to appear before the investigating officer for questioning on January 6, in connection with the ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities in the conduct of Formula-E car race in Hyderabad in February 2024.
According to people familiar with the matter, the ACB authorities summoned KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly called, to come to the ACB headquarters at 10 am on January 6, for questioning him for his role in the alleged transfer of ₹46 crore to a foreign company for conducting the race in Hyderabad in February last.
The ACB filed a case against KTR on December 19 in the case under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy), besides Section 13(1)(a) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
A day later, KTR filed a petition in the high court, seeking to quash the FIR lodged against him. However, the high court refused to quash the FIR and clarified that the agency could go ahead with the investigation into the case.
As per the directions of the court, the ACB filed a counter-affidavit on December 27. Justice N V Shravan Kumar, who heard the arguments on December 31, reserved his judgement on the quash petition and directed that the police should not arrest KTR until the verdict is delivered.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate, too, registered a case against KTR on December 20, suspecting money laundering in making payments to London-based Formula E Operations (FEO) for conducting Formula E races in Hyderabad.
Apart from KTR, the ED booked senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired engineering official of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) B L N Reddy. The ED would also examine potential violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), if any.
The ED, too, served notices on KTR for questioning him on 7 January. Arvind Kumar and Reddy sought more time from the ED for questioning.
