Advocate General argued against interim relief for KTR in Formula E scam case of ACB

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court heard arguments from Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy regarding the FIR filed in the Formula E race case, where former minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) is named as an accused.
During the proceedings, the Advocate General opposed the quashing petition filed by KTR, arguing that the case deserves a full investigation. The FIR, registered on December 19, was challenged through a quashing petition filed 20 December. “FIR is not an encyclopedia” and investigations often reveal additional details and accused parties, said Reddy.
Reddy emphasized that preliminary inquiries had revealed “serious irregularities” involving approximately Rs 56 crores. He informed the court that the Governor had granted permission for prosecution after due consideration of the matter. A key point of contention was the payment of funds allegedly made before the second agreement was finalized.
The Advocate General highlighted that any international transaction exceeding Rs 10 crores requires government sanction, which was allegedly bypassed in this case. “No permission was taken from the government because A1 (KTR) approved it,” Reddy stated, adding that the Finance Department’s concurrence was not obtained.
When the court inquired about KTR’s specific role, the petitioner’s side maintained that his only involvement was signing the approval. However, the Advocate General argued that the full scope of financial transactions and beneficiaries would be revealed during the investigation.
The Advocate General argued against interim relief, suggesting that the accused could alternatively seek anticipatory bail. He maintained that quashing the FIR at this preliminary stage would be inappropriate.
On 19, December,2024, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a First Information Report (FIR) against K.T. Rama Rao (KTR), former Minister and working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), for alleged financial irregularities during the Formula E race in Hyderabad in February 2023.
KTR is the prime accused in the FIR. The case also implicates former Municipal Administration Department Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar and HMDA Chief Engineer B.L.N. Reddy as other accused.
ACB booked a case under section 13 (1) (a) r/w 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (as amended in 2018) and Sec.409 r/w 120-B IPC, and took up the investigation.