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Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) was summoned once again by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the Hyderabad Formula E race. Speaking to the media ahead of his appearance, KTR lashed out at the Congress government and said he was “not afraid to go to jail”.
“I know they will arrest me. Jail is nothing new to me I’ve gone to jail before for Telangana,” the former minister said. He accused the Congress government of launching a “politically motivated witch-hunt” to divert public attention from its failures.
KTR, the working president of BRS and son of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, appeared before the ACB for the second time this year. He is under investigation for his alleged role in misusing ₹44–₹55 crore of public funds during the organisation of the 2023 Hyderabad Formula E race. The ACB is probing whether funds were unlawfully transferred from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to UK-based Formula E Operations (FEO) without due procedure even after the Model Code of Conduct came into force.
What Is the Formula E Race Case?
The Formula E race case pertains to allegations of corruption, criminal breach of trust, and conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges stem from financial transactions made to conduct the electric car race held in Hyderabad in February 2023, when KTR served as Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development.
According to the ACB, public funds were diverted illegally to FEO in foreign currency without proper approvals. A second edition of the race, scheduled for February 2024, was cancelled after the Congress came to power in December 2023. The ACB registered a formal case against KTR and senior officials, including IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former HMDA chief engineer BLN Reddy, in December 2024.
The alleged unauthorised payments are estimated to have caused a loss of nearly ₹55 crore to the state exchequer. A parallel investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also reportedly in progress.
KTR Calls Probe a ‘Circus’, Demands Public Debate
Calling the case a “circus”, KTR said the funds in question remain “very much in the FE account” and dismissed the investigation as vendetta politics. He reiterated his willingness to face inquiries: “As a law-abiding citizen, I will attend every time they summon me even if it’s 30 times.”
KTR also challenged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to take a televised lie detector test with him and called for an open debate in the Assembly on the Formula E race spending. “Revanth Reddy ran away from the debate because he lacked the courage,” he alleged.
The BRS leader warned that BC communities were watching the government’s failure to ensure 42% reservation in local body elections. He also criticised the Congress regime’s performance since taking power: “When you can’t govern, you distract people with a circus,” he said.
As the high-profile investigation continues, KTR has maintained a defiant stance, framing the issue as a political attack rather than a legal case. Meanwhile, the ACB and ED are expected to intensify their probe in the coming weeks.
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