Latest news with #FormulaERace
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
ACB intensifies Formula E probe, seeks access to KTR's devices
Hyderabad: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), currently investigating alleged irregularities in the Formula E Race, has intensified its inquiry. Officials have instructed BRS working president K T Rama Rao to hand over his mobile phones and laptops to the agency by Wednesday. The BRS working president had previously undergone questioning by ACB officials just a day before, during which he was grilled for over seven hours. The interrogation primarily focused on payments made to the private company without the government's explicit consent. Now, on Tuesday, officials have formally requested the BRS leader's mobile phones and laptops. K T Rama Rao, who had publicly stated his willingness to attend the inquiry even if summoned a hundred times, informed officials that he would make a decision regarding the handover of his devices only after consulting legal experts. Meanwhile, the BRS party's social media convener, Y Satish Reddy, expressed surprise at the ACB's request for KTR's phones as part of the Formula E investigation. He suggested that this action appears to be taken under directives from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Reddy asserted that it is clear ACB officials requested KTR's phone because Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was overseeing the situation from the command control room and issued the order. However, he questioned why KTR should hand over his personal phones, arguing that the Formula E Race case was not a personal matter but a government transaction. He emphasised that the Formula E Race was organised with government permission and as per a cabinet decision. Satish Reddy further stated that the money paid to the Formula E Race Company was transferred from the government treasury through official bank channels. All matters related to the organisation of the race, he added, were conducted legally in accordance with government decisions and agreements. He then questioned why the agencies would need KTR's personal phone. According to Article 21 and the IT Act 2000, he claimed, there was no legal basis to request a personal phone number without a criminal case or a specific court order. By this action, he argued, the Revanth Reddy government was effectively admitting that the Formula E case was merely politically motivated and intended to politically harass KTR. He pointed out that all transaction documents were held by the government, and the Formula E Race had been a success, attracting investments and benefiting the state.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Round Two: ACB grills KTR for 7 hrs
Hyderabad: Sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday grilled BRS working president KT Rama Rao for over seven hours at ACB office in round two in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Formula E Race. That done, the ACB sleuths asked KTR to surrender by Wednesday the mobile phone used by him during the race and alerted him that he could be called again for questioning. KTR had told the officials during questioning that he did not bring his mobile. On January 8 too, he was grilled for seven hours. Earlier in the day, party leaders and members reached Telangana Bhavan in large numbers expressing solidarity with their leader who had come there before going to the ACB office. The inquiry, which started at 10:00 am, ended at 6 pm during which the investigating authorities questioned KTR about alleged misuse of government funds for a private event and giving oral instructions for transferring money to a foreign company. According to sources, three officials of the ACB together asked KTR over 60 questions seeking clarifications from the former minister. They also asked questions on the statement of the FEO Company. After recording the submissions made by the BRS leader, the ACB officials told KTR that they would be calling him once again for the inquiry. It is learnt that the officials tried to get hold of the mobile phone of the BRS leader while he was in the inquiry room. However, KTR seems to have told the officials that he did not bring his mobile phone to their office. The officials then asked the BRS leader to surrender the mobile phone he had used during the Formula E Race by June 18. Talking to the media later, KTR said that it was a 'petty case' and that there were useless questions during the inquiry and nothing more than that. 'Revanth Reddy can't do anything to me. At the most, he may send me to jail for 15 days,' said KTR. Earlier in the day, tense moments prevailed at Telangana Bhavan where there was heavy police bandobast as there was a meeting of the Cabinet ministers in the Integrated Command Control Center (ICCC). Although BRS activists came to the Telangana Bhavan in large numbers in support of their leader, the police personnel locked the main gate of the building to stop any movement towards the Integrated Command Control Center, where the Chief Minister and other Ministers were supposed to come. The police personnel tried to shutter commercial establishments in the vicinity. Following protests by BRS activists, the police later removed the locks.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
KTR to depose before ACB today
Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao will on Monday appear before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which is probing the irregularities surrounding the Formula E Race that was hosted in Hyderabad when Rao was a minister. The agency issued summons to Rao asking him to appear for a fresh round of questioning at 10 am on Monday. The investigating agency had earlier summoned him for inquiry on May 28. However, Rao was on a foreign tour around that time. The BRS leader had earlier attended the ACB and Enforcement Directorate (ED) inquiry on the Formula E Race case. KTR was grilled for seven hours on January 8. The ACB is probing irregularities to the tune of Rs 55 crore. Apart from the BRS leader, IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former HMDA engineer BLN Reddy are the other accused in the scam.
Hans India
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
ACB Summons KTR for Formula E Race Inquiry
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has issued a notice to K. T. Rama Rao (KTR), the Working President of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former Minister, requiring him to attend questioning on Monday, the 16th of this month at 10 am, in relation to the Formula E Race case. Previously, the ACB had summoned KTR on May 26, asking him to appear for questioning on May 28. However, he was unable to attend due to a tour in America. KTR informed the ACB of his foreign commitments and indicated his willingness to cooperate once he returned. The ACB subsequently agreed to reschedule and has now issued another notice for his appearance. It is important to note that KTR has previously attended questioning sessions with both the ACB and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) concerning the same case. On January 6, he arrived at the ACB for an inquiry with his legal team but departed when officials did not permit him to enter. He returned to the ACB for questioning on January 8, where he was interrogated for approximately seven hours. Although he was called again on January 9, KTR requested additional time to respond to the inquiry. In addition, the ACB has questioned Arvind Kumar, Secretary of the Municipal Department, and BLN Reddy, the former Chief Engineer of HMDA, as part of its investigation. The inquiry stems from allegations of the misuse of ₹55 crores related to the Formula E race, which was held in Hyderabad during the BRS administration.
