What could be problematic for the former minister is not just Formula E, as his close aides are reportedly being probed for much bigger scandals, including tax evasion. It may eventually lead ED to knock on his doors.
Published Dec 17, 2024 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 17, 2024 | 12:00 PM
BRS working president KTR. (X)
As the wheel seems to be turning full circle for Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao (popularly known as KTR), it will likely be a long and painful process before the worst possible could happen – his arrest.
The flamboyant Telangana politician, son of former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao alias KCR, was the darling of the Indian IT industry for a decade when he served as a minister.
However, some of his actions began to haunt him once his party, the BRS, lost power in December 2023.
Once seen as a chief minister in the making, the noose is tightening around him after the Telangana Governor recently granted sanction to investigate the role of KTR in the alleged financial scam surrounding the conduct of the Formula E race in Hyderabad in 2023.
The crux of the case relates to the release of ₹55 crore to the Formula E organisers without the necessary paperwork and approvals from all competent authorities.
Highly placed sources told South First that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), entrusted with investigating the alleged scam, will start the process by issuing a notice asking KTR to appear for questioning.
Senior officials involved in the money transfer will also be simultaneously probed.
“This process itself could take a few months as KTR may have to appear before the ACB more than once. The goal is to weaken him mentally and create confusion amongst the BRS cadre regarding the future of their leader.” a source said.
Currently, KTR is the working president of BRS and effectively runs the show since his father KCR prefers to stay isolated at his farmhouse.
Government sources said a decision on his arrest is, therefore, likely to be taken only in the early part of next year. This is at variance with media speculation that it was only a matter of hours or days before Rama Rao was arrested.
What could be problematic for the former minister is not just Formula E, as his close aides are reportedly being probed for much bigger scandals involving tax evasion. If those details come out, it could be more than just an embarrassment for KTR.
Similarly, the chances of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stepping in if the state government arrests KTR cannot be ruled out. If that happens, it could be a double whammy for Rama Rao individually, as well as for BRS.
For the outside world, KCR is spending his time quietly at his farmhouse but internally, the once-undisputed leader of Telangana must be battling severe turbulence in his mind.
Will he stay quiet if KTR is arrested, as he did when his daughter Kavitha was held over the liquor scam? or will he come out of the self-imposed exile and run the party? or leave it to someone else? These are all questions that await answers in the near future.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
