Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has approved the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) request to prosecute BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) in the alleged Formula E race scam. The decision came after the Governor examined legal opinions on the file, which had reached Raj Bhavan on September 9. The approval was formally given on November 20, clearing the way for the ACB to proceed further.
The case centres on alleged financial irregularities during the organisation of the Hyderabad Formula E race. According to the complaint, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) paid about Rs 54.88 crore to the Formula E organisers without securing proper approvals. Former MAUD Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar is alleged to have authorised the payment on oral instructions from then minister KTR, bypassing established financial procedures. The ACB has named KTR, Arvind Kumar, and former HMDA Chief Engineer BLN Reddy in the case.
The Formula E race was part of an E-Mobility Week planned by the previous BRS government in 2023, with a second edition scheduled for February 2024 under a Host City Agreement signed in October 2023. However, after the Congress government assumed power in December 2023, the event was cancelled.
KTR, who served as Municipal Administration and IT Minister, was questioned by the ACB for eight hours in mid-2025. He denied all allegations, maintained that funds were released in accordance with rules, and described the probe as politically driven. He also challenged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to an open debate in the Assembly and offered to undergo a lie-detector test.
Earlier, in December 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed KTR’s Special Leave Petition seeking to quash the ACB case, following a refusal by the Telangana High Court to grant relief.
Developments indicate that the investigation may intensify further. A chargesheet is expected soon against former HMDA Chief Engineer (Projects) BLV Reddy and former Special Officer Kiran Kumar. Additionally, the Vigilance and Enforcement Directorate has granted prosecution permission against two sitting IAS officers, Arvind Kumar and Shiva Shankar, a move likely to accelerate the case.
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