Telangana High Court Grants Interim Relief To KTR in Formula E Race Case; Hearing Adjourned To Dec 27

The Telangana High Court granted KTR interim relief in the Formula E case, barring arrest until December 30, allowing ACB investigations, and rescheduling hearings.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted interim relief to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) in the Formula E race case, ruling that he cannot be arrested until December 30. The court allowed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to proceed with its investigation and adjourned the hearing to December 27.

Key Arguments by KTR's Counsel

Senior Supreme Court advocate Sundaram, representing KTR, made the following points:

• The FIR registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act is politically motivated and flawed.
• Supreme Court rulings require a preliminary inquiry before registering an FIR against a public representative.
• The FIR was registered hastily, without adequate investigation.
• The agreement for the Formula-E car race was legally sound, with no financial irregularities or personal misuse of funds.
• Payments by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) were essential for the event’s success after sponsors backed out.
• The Formula-E Season 9 event generated nearly Rs 700 crore in profits, highlighting the positive impact of government intervention.

Counterarguments by Advocate General

Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy argued:

• The FIR is a procedural step and not an indication of guilt.
• Payments of over Rs 56 crore were made in foreign currency without the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or Finance Ministry's approval.
• The FIR was registered after the Governor’s approval, following a detailed two-month deliberation.
• KTR's role in the alleged irregularities will be clarified during the investigation and reflected in the charge sheet.

High Court’s Observations

The court questioned the AG about KTR's specific involvement in the payments and sought clarity on procedural adherence in the financial transactions. While the AG defended the FIR as necessary for investigation, Sundaram called for its quashing, citing procedural lapses and legal precedents.

The High Court has reserved its decision on the petition to quash the FIR and will resume hearings on December 27.