- विज्ञापन -
Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned K.T. Rama Rao, the working president of the BRS and former minister, along with senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) chief engineer B.L.N. Reddy. This is in relation to alleged financial irregularities surrounding the Formula-E race organized during the BRS’s tenure in government.
K.T. Rama Rao is required to appear before the ED on January 7, while Arvind Kumar and Reddy have been called for January 2 and 3, respectively. The ED’s investigation falls under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and began following an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
On December 29, the ACB initiated a case against the three individuals, citing various violations during last year’s Formula E race organization. The FIR was filed based on a complaint by M. Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, which received the governor’s approval at the state government’s request.
The FIR was lodged under multiple sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, alleging that over Rs. 54.88 crore was improperly paid to UK-based Formula-E Operations Limited (FEO) against established procedures. The ED subsequently registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) focusing on the same individuals.
Initially, the government’s involvement in the event was supposed to be limited to providing infrastructure and civic amenities. However, there are claims that the HMDA transferred funds without being a party to the agreement, and the ED is also examining whether the commitments exceeding Rs. 600 crore for future seasons breached any legal or financial guidelines.
