Governor allows ACB investigation on Formula E-race
The Telangana State Governor, Jishnu Dev Varma, has given his consent for the prosecution of former minister K.T. Rama Rao over alleged financial irregularities concerning the Hyderabad Formula E-race, which involves Rs 54.88 crore of public funds. The question now is when KTR will be taken into custody to be produced in court.
Chief Minister’s Allegation
The sanction comes two months after the State government sent the file to the Governor. It is recalled that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s statement during the Jubilee Hills by-election campaign on November 5 was that the BRS and BJP had a tacit understanding on seeking not to prosecute former minister K.T. Rama Rao in the Formula E-race case, which had been held up with the Government for two months.
The Formula E-Race dispute refers to allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption in organizing the e-Motor event in Hyderabad. Specifically, the dispute involves accusations that funds were transferred to the Formula E Organising Company without proper approvals, leading to financial loss for the government and prompting an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). This led to the cancellation of a planned race.
ACB Investigation -Core Allegation
The ACB submitted its final report to the Governor in September 2025, outlining alleged irregularities in the event and seeking permission to prosecute KTR, who was a cabinet minister at that time. The Governor’s approval clears the way for the Anti-Corruption Bureau to file a charge sheet in the case. The case was set in motion when the Principal Secretary to Government, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), M. Dana Kishore, filed a complaint with the ACB on October 18, 2024, about the loss to the exchequer due to Rs 54.88 crore in irregularities in the Formula-E deal. The complaint alleged that the payment was made to Formula E-Operations Limited (FEO) by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Authority without the necessary approval from the Cabinet or the Finance Department.
The Official Complaint and Co-Accused
The ACB officials have separately written to the State Chief Secretary, seeking sanction to prosecute two senior government officers: former Municipal Administration and Urban Development Chief Secretary Aravind Kumar and former Chief Engineer of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), B.L.N. Reddy. The ACB also names two other co-accused, who include Kiran Rao, a senior executive of Ace NXT Gen, and the U.K. based Formula E Operations (FEO) Limited.8 The alleged fraud took place when KTR was a cabinet minister.
Editor, Prime Post
Ravindra Seshu Amaravadi, is a senior journalist with 38 years of experience in Telugu, English news papers and electronic media. He worked in Udayam as a sub-editor and reporter. Later, he was associated with Andhra Pradesh Times, Gemini news, Deccan Chronicle, HMTV and The Hans India. Earlier, he was involved in the research work of All India Kisan Sabha on suicides of cotton farmers. In Deccan Chronicle, he exposed the problems of subabul and chilli farmers and malpractices that took place in various government departments.
