Telangana High Court Postpones Decision on KTR’s Formula-E Race Case

The Telangana High Court has deferred the hearing of BRS working president Rama Rao's petition to December 31. Rao is seeking to quash an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau relating to financial misconduct during Hyderabad's Formula-E race. Rao remains protected from arrest until the new hearing date.

The Telangana High Court has pushed the hearing of the petition filed by BRS working president Rama Rao, also known as KTR, to December 31. This petition seeks to dismiss an FIR filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau concerning the Formula-E race issue.

On December 20, the High Court had instructed ACB officials not to arrest Rama Rao until December 30. This decision came after Rao approached the court, aiming to quash the FIR. Conversely, the ACB filed a petition to vacate this non-arrest directive. On Friday, Rama Rao's counsel submitted a counter-reply to the ACB's petition, leading the court to reschedule the hearing to the end of December.

The case, initiated by the Telangana ACB on December 19, accuses Rama Rao of making unauthorized payments, some in foreign currency, for organizing the Formula-E race in Hyderabad. The FIR lists allegations under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC, citing criminal misappropriation and conspiracy causing a potential loss of Rs 55 crores to the public treasury. Rama Rao is identified as the primary accused, with senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy also named in the FIR.

(With inputs from agencies.)