As situation was getting out of control, the police began detaining BRS party leaders and workers as KTR went inside the ED office and made himself available for questioning.
Published Jan 16, 2025 | 12:54 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 16, 2025 | 12:54 PM
KTR appears before the ED for questioning. (Screengrab)
Tension built up at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Office in Basheerbagh in Hyderabad on Thursday, 16 January, when BRS working president KT Rama Rao arrived. He had to appear before a team of the ED for questioning on his alleged role in what has come to be known as the Formula E Race case.
With the BRS sending a message to the cadres last night to gather at the ED office, scores of the party supporters began gathering near the police barricades set up a little away from the office.
As soon as KTR arrived at the ED’s office at about 10:30 a.m., all hell broke loose. The party workers who were milling around at the barricades rushed forward to express solidarity with him. About 200 policemen posted at the ED office, trying to thwart any untoward incident from happening, swung into action and tried to push the party workers back, which led to a struggle for some time.
As the situation was getting out of control the police began arresting the party leaders and workers to restore normalcy as KTR went inside the ED office and made himself available for questioning.
#Telangana: @BRSParty working president @KTRBRS had just arrived at the ED office in #Hyderabad for questioning in the #FormulaE Corruption Case. pic.twitter.com/Zfx7Rd3Xxt
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) January 16, 2025
Before setting out for the ED’s office, KTR on X said: “Hosting Formula E in India/Telangana/Hyderabad remains one of my most cherished decisions as a minister. The pride I felt witnessing international racers and e-Mobility industry leaders praise our city is memorable. No amount of frivolous cases, cheap mudslinging or political witch-hunting can erase that sense of accomplishment.”
Hosting Formula E in India/Telangana/Hyderabad remains one of my most cherished decisions as a Minister. The pride I felt, witnessing international racers & E-Mobility industry leaders praise our city, is memorable
No amount of frivolous cases, cheap mudslinging, or political…
— KTR (@KTRBRS) January 16, 2025
Setting the record straight, he said ₹46 crore was paid to Formula E Operations through a transparent bank-to-bank transaction. “Not a single rupee was misappropriated and every rupee is accounted for. Where is alleged corruption, misappropriation and money laundering?” he asked
He said that if anything, the shortsightedness of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his thoughtless unilateral decisions to cancel the second year of the event has caused a loss to the exchequer.
“Even though there is no wrongdoing, driven by malice and political vendetta, the Congress government is hell-bent on dragging these well-documented events through the courts and investigating agencies. I am confident that the truth will soon be revealed for all to see, including the honourable courts. Until then we will continue to fight for justice,” he said.
KTR, who was asked to appear before the ED on 7 January, sought a fresh date, which the investigation agency obliged and asked him to present himself on Thursday. KTR had sought time since his petition for quashing the ACB’s FIR was posted to come up for a hearing before the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
But KTR withdrew his petition after the Supreme Court said it could not interfere with the Telangana High Court’s order dismissing a similar petition for quashing the FIR.
As a result, the BRS leader had to appear before the ED and answer their questions on Thursday. It is likely that the ACB too would give a fresh date for him to appear before them in the same case. It has already questioned him once.
The Enforcement Directorate has already grilled A2 in the case, senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former Chief Engineer of the HMDA BLN Reddy.
The ED and the ACB are trying to get to the truth of why HMDA was brought in as a sponsor for conducting season 10 of the Formula E Race case after the original sponsor AceNxtGen, a subsidiary of Greenko, backed out.
The charge against KTR, who was Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development in the then BRS government and the other two is that ₹46 crore (excluding taxes) had been paid in pound sterling in October 2023 to UK-based Formula E Operations giving a go-bye to rules and procedures.
The money was transferred for conducting season 10 of the race in Hyderabad in February 2024 but it did not take place after the new Congress government scrapped the agreement.
After AceNxtGen backed out, a fresh agreement was signed after the payments were made which is being described as yet another lapse in following the procedures.
The infractions included the release of foreign exchange without the approval of the finance department, the cabinet, and the then chief minister who was also the chairman of the HMDA.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
