Hyderabad: Senior IAS Officer Arvind Kumar has been called by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in connection with the Formula E Race Scam case. He is set to appear before the ACB on July 1.
The Formula E Race Scam case is a remnant from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, in which BRS working president KTR has been called to testify recently. The ACB has been actively pursuing leads and investigating the case.
Arvind Kumar was named as an accused in the ACB FIR, alongside former minister KT Rama Rao and retired HMDA engineer BLN Reddy.
Prior to the ACB summons, Kumar had informed the state government that he had transferred funds under the directions of KT Rama Rao himself.
After the Congress party came into power in Telangana, it was revealed that the former BRS government spent Rs 54 crore (including Rs 8 crore in taxes) on Formula E, the organisers of Formula E Season 10 in Hyderabad, without Cabinet approval.
A memo was then issued to Kumar, questioning the authorisation for this transaction. Congress also alleged that Rs 55 crore were spent on the event and raised concerns over inaction against Ace Nxt Gen, a Greenko subsidiary, for defaulting and withdrawing from the event. This led to the cancellation of the 2024 Formula E race in Hyderabad, initially scheduled for February, with organisers citing a “breach of contract.”
Earlier this month, former minister KTR personally appeared before the ACB on June 13 and was interrogated by authorities for eight hours, and again on June 16. Last week, on June 18, he refused to submit his phone to the ACB in response to a notice issued against him.
The ACB had cited Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), for the same notice, demanding the mobile phone he used between November 1, 2021, and December 1, 2023, along with other electronic devices such as a laptop, tablet, and iPad.
KTR refused, stating it was a violation of his constitutionally guaranteed rights.
