Formula E: ACB to file chargesheet in criminal case against KTR

Hyderabad: More than a year after filing a criminal case against former MAUD minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is set to file a chargesheet in the Formula E criminal case on or before Saturday.It is learnt that the decision was taken by top officials of ACB this week. The development comes a few days after the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) gave prosecution permission against senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar, one of the three accused in the case. It is learnt that the bureau is set to level a charge of conspiring for an alleged quid pro quo against the accused.
In December 2024, ACB officials filed a criminal case against KTR, former special chief secretary (MAUD) Arvind Kumar, and former Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) chief engineer BLN Reddy, accusing them of illegally transferring 55 crore to UK-based Formula E Operations in violation of procedures.The bureau alleged that based on the instructions given by KTR, the other accused processed the file to take up the responsibility of sponsoring the second edition of the Formula E race in Hyderabad, since the original sponsor, Ace Nxt Gen, backed out abruptly after sponsoring the first edition. The officials are expected to highlight in the chargesheet that the proposal to sponsor the second edition of the race was taken without the consent of the Election Commission of India (ECI) when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was imposed for the Assembly elections in 2023.KTR reportedly told investigators during one of his questionings that he signed the file before the MCC came into force, but officials took time to process it before the money was sent after taking various clearances. The ACB is set to file the chargesheet after taking prosecution permissions against all three accused from various authorities.