Formula E case: KTR claims lawyer denied entry, leaves ACB office in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday, January 6 reached the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) office in Hyderabad ahead of the questioning in connection with the alleged Formula E scam.

The former Telangana minister arrived at the office along with his legal team; however, KTR was stopped outside the ACB office. Addressing the media, the Sircilla MLA said, “Telangana police are colluding against me. They might even plant evidence against me at my home like they did to former MLA Patnam Narender Reddy and obtained a fake confession from him.”

The BRS working president wrote to the agency for information on what documents were expected from him during questioning. He has asked the ACB to defer the questioning till the Telangana High Court orders.

Expressing dismay after being denied entry to the ACB office, KTR’s lawyer Soma Bharat asked why he was not allowed to accompany the former Telangana minister if there was no government conspiracy.

It is to be noted that the Telangana ACB had registered a case of corruption against KTR over alleged financial irregularities of over Rs 54.88 crore, in payments between HMDA and UK-based Formula-E Operations Limited (FEO).

The ACB registered the FIR under Sections 13(1)(A) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Sections 409 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.

Following the ACB case, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the PMLA, against KTR, Arvind Kumar and BLN Reddy.

As per the original tripartite agreement in the Formula E race in Hyderabad, signed in October 2022 between the Telangana government, FEO, and event sponsor Ace Nxt Gen Pvt Ltd, the government’s role was limited to providing infrastructure and civic amenities for the race.

BRS leaders detained ahead of KTR’s ACB probe

Earlier on Monday, several BRS leaders were put under house arrest ahead of KTR’s visit to the ACB office in Hyderabad for questioning in the Formula E corruption case. Those put under house arrest include Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, BRSV general secretary Mekala Vidya Sagar was picked up last night and has been placed under arrest at the Kollur police station.

Over 100 BRSV leaders have been taken into preventive custody by the police at different places. They are being detained at different police stations.