Tue Dec 31 16:02:14 UTC 2024: ## Telangana High Court Reserves Order on KTR’s Plea to Quash Formula E Case
**Hyderabad, December 31, 2024** – The Telangana High Court reserved its order on Tuesday in a criminal petition filed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former minister K.T. Rama Rao (KTR). KTR is seeking to quash a criminal case filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) alleging financial irregularities in the release of funds for the 2023 Formula E race in Hyderabad.
Justice K. Lakshman granted KTR continued protection from arrest until the verdict is delivered. The decision followed a three-hour hearing where arguments were presented by KTR’s counsel, Supreme Court senior counsel Siddartha Dave, and the Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy representing the state.
The Advocate General argued that the ACB investigation is in its early stages and requires further probing. He highlighted that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) disbursed crores of rupees to Formula E Operations (FEO) despite not being a party to the tripartite agreement governing the race. He further pointed to foreign remittances made by HMDA to FEO without the necessary permissions, noting that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already issued notices to KTR in this regard.
Counsel for the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Principal Secretary, Dana Kishore, added that funds were sent abroad even before a key agreement was signed, raising concerns about potential criminal breach of trust.
KTR’s counsel countered that the allegations do not constitute criminal breach of trust, arguing that the alleged procedural irregularities did not result in personal gain for KTR. He further stated that there’s no legal prohibition against the Telangana government contracting with foreign companies and that the government’s own year-long internal inquiry found no misappropriation of funds. The court is now awaiting the final judgment.
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