Latest news with #FormulaERace
Hans India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Arvind Kumar faces fresh ACB summons in Formula E probe
Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has once again issued notices to senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar, directing him to appear for questioning in the Formula E Race case on Thursday. The official has been asked to appear at 11:30 am on Thursday. Earlier, the ACB had sent a notice to Arvind Kumar to appear on July 1. As Kumar has been on a foreign trip for the last month, the investigating agency issued a fresh notice. During earlier questioning, Arvind Kumar reportedly told officials that he had transferred the money on the directions of then Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao. Now, Arvind Kumar has been asked to appear at the ACB office in Banjara Hills on Thursday. The ACB has named BRS working president KT Rama Rao as the prime accused in the FIR, alleging irregularities in the organisation of the Formula E Race. There were also allegations against then MAUD Secretary Arvind Kumar and HMDA Chief Engineer BLN Reddy. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had previously summoned KT Rama Rao and the official in connection with the case.
Hans India
26-06-2025
- Hans India
Formula E Probe: IAS officer Arvind Kumar summoned again
Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), currently probing alleged irregularities in the Formula E Race case, has re-issued summons to IAS officer Arvind Kumar, directing him to appear for questioning on July 1. This marks the second time Kumar has been called in connection with the Formula E investigation. He was previously interrogated for six hours on January 9, during which he reportedly informed officials that the funds transfer in question was made under the direct instructions of the then Municipal Administration Minister, KT Rama Rao. Kumar, who was recently out of the country and has since landed in New Delhi, is expected to arrive in Hyderabad within a day or two. He has been asked to present himself at the ACB office in Banjara Hills. The ACB's First Information Report (FIR) names BRS working president KT Rama Rao as the prime accused in the alleged irregularities surrounding the organisation of the Formula E Race. Allegations also surfaced against the then MAUD Secretary Arvind Kumar and HMDA Chief Engineer BLN Reddy. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also previously summoned both Rao and the official for questioning.
NDTV
25-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Senior IAS Officer Summoned By Anti-Corruption Bureau In Formula E Race Case
Hyderabad: Special Chief Secretary in Telangana, Arvind Kumar, has been summoned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on July 1 in connection with the Formula E race case. The ACB is probing into alleged irregularities related to the Formula E Race, which was organised when BRS working president KT Rama Rao was the municipal administration and urban development minister. Arvind Kumar has been named as an accused in the FIR registered by the ACB, alongside former minister KT Rama Rao and retired HMDA engineer BLN Reddy. Mr Kumar had informed the state government earlier that he transferred the funds under the directions of the then minister, KT Rama Rao. Whereas, KTR said he took the decision to conduct the games, but procedural details have to be taken care of by officers. In January, Arvind Kumar was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding allegations of violations in the transfer of funds for conducting the Formula E race in Hyderabad. The agency is investigating whether there were any violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) or if money was laundered through the transfer of funds to Formula E Operations (FEO). The investigator asked about the bypassing of rules and regulations in transferring foreign currency from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) bank accounts. They also questioned why no approval was obtained from the state Cabinet or the Finance department to transfer funds. Arvind Kumar, the then Municipal Administration department special chief secretary, reportedly told the ED that the then Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) minister KT Rama Rao instructed him to make the payment immediately, "as any disruption to the Formula E race would damage the state's brand image." The ED further questioned why RBI guidelines were not followed during the fund transfer and sought clarification on Arvind Kumar's interest in approving the payment from HMDA accounts without a proper agreement with the race organisers.
Hans India
18-06-2025
- 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
17-06-2025
- 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.
