The Telangana High Court has granted temporary relief to BRS leader KTR, preventing his arrest until December 30 in the Formula-E race case. He aims to quash an FIR by the ACB accusing him of financial irregularities. The court emphasized his cooperation in the investigation, with further hearings scheduled soon.
Telangana: The Telangana High Court has provided temporary relief to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) by directing the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials not to arrest him till December 30 in the controversial Formula-E race case. Justice Natcharaju Shravan Kumar Venkat, hearing a Lunch Motion petition filed by KTR, made this interim order, offering respite to the prominent leader.
The High Court’s directive came as KTR sought to quash the FIR registered against him by the ACB. The court emphasized that KTR must cooperate with the investigation and scheduled the matter for further hearing next week. Additionally, the government has been instructed to file its counter in the case.
The case stems from the Telangana ACB’s registration of a complaint against KTR on Thursday, accusing him of alleged irregularities related to payments, including foreign currency transactions, for hosting the Formula-E race in Hyderabad during the previous government’s tenure. Notably, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma had recently granted permission to initiate legal proceedings against KTR.
The FIR names KTR as the prime accused, alongside senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy, listed as accused no. 2 and 3 respectively. The charges include violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to criminal breach of trust and conspiracy.
Reacting to the allegations, KTR stated,
“Where is corruption in this? We have paid Rs 55 crore. They (Formula-E) acknowledged the payment. This is a straightforward account. HMDA has an account in Indian Overseas Bank and money has been transferred from that account…”
Earlier, the government sought an explanation from Arvind Kumar regarding the agreement signed for the Formula-E race without proper approvals and the payment of Rs 55 crore, most of which was made in foreign currency. This controversy has intensified after Formula-E announced the cancellation of the Hyderabad E-Prix, citing a breach of contract by the new Telangana government. The second Formula-E Race in India was initially scheduled for February 10.
This case continues to draw attention, with its implications set to influence both the legal and political landscape in Telangana.
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