Gov.'s nod sought to prosecute KTR

Hyderabad: The state government has sought Governor Jishnu Dev Varma’s permission to prosecute former municipal administration and urban development minister and BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao in the Formula E car race scam. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has been investigating the irregularities in paying Rs 55 crore to the London-based organisers of the race.

Confirming the development to Deccan Chronicle in an exclusive interview, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said ACB as an autonomous investigative agency, which probes corruption allegations level against state employees and public representatives and it is empowered to take a decision based on its investigation.

“It is not a political decision. Even I came to know about it (ACB seeking the Governor’s permission) as part of the administrative process,” said Revanth Reddy, who spoke to this newspaper in an exclusive interview at his residence on Thursday.

According to senior bureaucrat Arvind Kumar, who worked as HMDA metropolitan commissioner, Rama Rao had approved the payment to the London-based company, flouting all rules and without obtaining prior permission from the RBI.

Further, he said the payment was made when the model code of conduct was in force.

“It seems Rama Rao made the government agency pay Rs 55 crore to a foreign entity, which was routed to his overseas accounts,” the Chief Minister pointed out.

Deccan Chronicle earlier carried a report ‘Arvind blames it on KTR, goes all out to help a private entity’ on January 22, 2024, in which the senior bureaucrat sought to put the entire onus for Formula E car race on Rama Rao.