Tue Jan 07 06:21:29 UTC 2025: ## Telangana High Court Rejects KTR’s Plea to Quash Corruption Case

**Hyderabad, January 7, 2025** – The Telangana High Court today dismissed a petition filed by K.T. Rama Rao (KTR), working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), seeking to quash a criminal case against him. The case, filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), alleges misappropriation of funds related to the Formula E race held in Hyderabad in 2023.

Justice K. Lakshman rejected KTR’s request for an extension of his protection from arrest, a measure previously granted. The judge’s decision came less than a minute after reading the operative part of the judgment.

The ACB filed the FIR in December 2024, charging KTR under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. The charges stem from a tripartite agreement between the then BRS government (with KTR as Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development), Formula E Operations (FEO) Limited, and a sponsor, Ace Nxt Gen Private Limited. The agreement involved hosting Formula E races over several seasons.

Following the sponsor’s withdrawal, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), under KTR’s ministry, transferred approximately ₹55 crore to FEO without securing necessary approvals from the finance department or relevant agencies regulating foreign remittances.

KTR’s legal team argued that the charges were baseless, while the ACB countered that further investigation was needed. The court, however, ultimately sided with the ACB, clearing the path for potential further action against the former minister.

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