Hyderabad, Sept 2026 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao appeared before the Special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court in Hyderabad on Friday in connection with the Formula E race case. The court subsequently adjourned the matter to October 30.
Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, appeared in person in response to the court's summons. Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) Chief Engineer B.L.N. Reddy, who are also accused in the case, appeared before the court.
According to the BRS Party Legal Cell, the hearing was deferred after representatives of companies named as accused in the case did not appear before the court. KTR's appearance on Friday was his second personal appearance in the case. He had earlier appeared before the court on July 31 and had sought exemption from personal appearance on August 25.
The case relates to alleged financial irregularities in the organisation of the Formula E race in Hyderabad during the previous BRS government. The ACB has alleged that around Rs 55 crore was transferred from HMDA to a foreign entity without following the required procedures and approvals. The agency filed a chargesheet in March 2026, naming KTR as accused number one.
The chargesheet also names Arvind Kumar and B.L.N. Reddy as accused. A sports consultant has also been named in the case, while Formula E Operations is among the entities associated with the proceedings.
The ACB had registered the case in December 2024 against KTR, Arvind Kumar and Reddy over alleged irregularities involving Rs 54.88 crore in the Formula E deal. The agency subsequently investigated the financial transactions connected with the event and questioned the accused multiple times.
KTR, who was the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development when the race was organised, has denied the allegations and described the case as “bogus”. Speaking to the media after appearing before the court on Friday, he said the case was registered against him for promoting electric vehicles and bringing recognition to Hyderabad and Telangana by hosting an international motorsport event.
Rama Rao said he had full faith in the judiciary and would comply with court proceedings whenever required. “Whenever the court summons, I will appear,” he said.
Several BRS leaders and party workers gathered at the Nampally Court Complex to express solidarity with the BRS working president.
The investigation into the Formula E case followed allegations that payments were made to a foreign company without obtaining necessary approvals from the relevant authorities. According to the complaint that led to the FIR, the transactions also resulted in an additional tax burden of around Rs 8.06 crore on HMDA.
The complaint was filed by M. Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department. The ACB alleged that foreign remittances connected with the race were made without prior approvals from the competent regulatory authorities.
The case concerns the hosting of the Formula E race in Hyderabad in 2023. Following the investigation, the ACB submitted its report to the state government and sought the necessary sanction for prosecution of KTR, Arvind Kumar and others.
The matter has also attracted wider political attention, with the BRS maintaining that the case is politically motivated and the allegations against its leaders are unfounded. KTR has continued to deny wrongdoing while stating that he would cooperate with the judicial process.
The Special ACB Court will now take up the matter again on October 30.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
