In a latest development in the ongoing Formula-E race case, the Telangana High Court has postponed the hearing of BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao’s plea to quash the FIR lodged against him. The hearing, initially scheduled for a sooner date, has now been deferred to December 31, as confirmed on Friday.
Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, has been under scrutiny by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for alleged financial irregularities linked to the organization of the Formula-E race in Hyderabad. The allegations suggest that payments, including some transactions in foreign currency without proper approvals, were made during the previous BRS government’s tenure, purportedly causing a wrongful loss of approximately Rs 55 crores to the government exchequer.
On December 20, the High Court granted KTR interim relief from arrest until December 30, following his appeal against the FIR. This interim protection has been extended until the new hearing date at the end of the year. The ACB, seeking to overturn this decision, filed a petition challenging the court’s earlier directive. In response, KTR’s legal team submitted a rebuttal on Friday, leading to the adjournment of the hearing.
The FIR implicates not only Rama Rao but also senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy, highlighting their roles in the alleged financial mismanagement. The case has been filed under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC, encompassing charges of criminal misappropriation, misconduct, breach of trust, and conspiracy.
