Formula E Scandal Unveils High-profile Corruption Allegations

Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar, implicated in the Formula E race controversy, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Alleged irregularities, linked to significant foreign currency transactions under previous BRS regime, involve payments exceeding Rs 55 crore. Arvind Kumar faces charges alongside former minister KT Rama Rao and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy.

Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar, implicated in the controversial Formula E race case, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday. The officer's presence followed a prior summons by the ACB regarding alleged misconduct in organizing the race event.

The initial allegations date back to 2023 when Kumar, then Special Chief Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, was accused in an FIR alongside BRS leader KT Rama Rao. The core of the investigation focuses on unauthorized payments, primarily in foreign currency, encroaching heavily on government funds.

The ACB's case aims to unravel a series of alleged corrupt acts, including misappropriation and conspiracy, leading to a financial loss estimated at Rs 55 crore to the public treasury. The event's February 2024 iteration faced cancellation after a regime change with Congress assuming power in December 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)