The Telangana High Court allowed BRS leader K T Rama Rao to have a lawyer present during his questioning by the Anti-Corruption Bureau regarding alleged unauthorized payments for a Formula E race. The questioning is set for January 9, 2025. Rama Rao is accused of misappropriating funds that led to a Rs 55 crore loss.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday (Jan 8th) granted permission for a lawyer to accompany BRS leader K T Rama Rao during his questioning by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with the alleged unauthorized payments for conducting a Formula E race.
The questioning is scheduled for January 9, 2025.
Justice K Lakshman, while hearing a House Motion petition filed by Rama Rao, ruled that the lawyer could be present during the proceedings but not in the same room where ACB officials would examine him.
The advocate will be allowed to observe the questioning from a separate room, where he can see both his client and the investigating officer. The judge directed Rama Rao’s counsel to submit a list of lawyers so one could be finalized to accompany the BRS leader.
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On January 6, high drama unfolded at the Telangana ACB headquarters when Rama Rao, summoned for questioning, was denied the assistance of his lawyer. In protest, he refused to appear before the officials and left the premises, handing over a written statement to an ACB official outside the office.
The ACB later issued a fresh notice to Rama Rao, summoning him for questioning on January 9.
The ACB registered a case against Rama Rao on December 19, 2024, alleging unauthorized payments, some in foreign currency, for conducting the Formula E race in 2023 under the previous BRS regime.
The case involves allegations of:
- Criminal misappropriation
- Criminal misconduct
- Criminal breach of trust
- Criminal conspiracy
According to the ACB, these actions caused a loss of Rs 55 crore to the government exchequer. Rama Rao, who served as the Municipal Administration Minister at the time, is the prime accused in the case.
The Formula E race, conducted during the previous BRS government in 2023, faced scrutiny over the alleged misuse of public funds. While another race was planned for February 2024, it was cancelled after the Congress government came to power in December 2023.
Case title: KT Rama Rao v State of Telangana
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