Hyderabad: Nearly two weeks after registering a criminal case in the Formula E race case, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Friday served a notice to former municipal administration minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao, directing him to appear before the agency on Jan 6 over alleged financial irregularities in payment of Rs 55 crore to UK-based Formula E Operations (FEO).
Apart from KTR, the agency was in the process of serving notices to two other accused – former special chief secretary Arvind Kumar and former HMDA chief engineer BLN Reddy – to appear on Jan 8 and 10, respectively.
KTR has also been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning on Jan 7 in a separate Formula E case filed by the central agency over suspicion of money laundering.
Arvind Kumar and BLN Reddy, who were earlier summoned by the ED in the case, have already sought additional time to appear.
Earlier, KTR had approached the Telangana high court to quash the FIR registered by the ACB. Though the HC gave him interim relief by directing the ACB not to arrest him until further orders, it allowed the agency to continue the investigation.
KTR is accused of directing the other accused to make the govt take responsibility for sponsoring the second edition of Formula E in Hyderabad in 2023 when Ace Nxt Gen Pvt Ltd backed off after sponsoring the first edition.
The agency registered a case based on the complaint given by municipal administration and urban development principal secretary Dana Kishore, alleging that Rs 55 crore was paid to FEO in violation of laid-down procedures, which allegedly led to the misappropriation of govt funds.
The accused have been booked for violations of Prevention of Corruption Act, conspiracy and breach of trust.
