Hyderabad: After hearing parties on a petition filed by former minister KT Rama Rao (KTR), seeking to dismiss the case registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with the Formula-E race event, the Telangana High Court reserved its judgment and extended interim orders, ensuring KTR's protection from arrest until the final verdict.
During the hearing, Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy questioned the legality of the agreement signed during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime. The advocate alleged that Rs. 46 crore was paid in foreign currency, circumventing RBI rules. He further claimed that any payment exceeding Rs. 10 crore required approval from the Finance Ministry, but Rs. 54 crore was disbursed without any authorisation. Additionally, the agreement was made when the Election Code was in effect and business rules were ignored during the payment process. The advocate noted that KTR, in his capacity as the minister for municipal administration, had signed the payment note.
In response, KTR’s senior counsel Siddharth Dave argued that the sections under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy invoked by the ACB were not applicable. He emphasised that the agreement to organise the Formula-E race was signed by the principal secretary of the Municipal Administration Department, and not KTR. Dave further stated that KTR had not personally benefited from the deal and no evidence of corruption had been presented, urging the court to quash the FIR, citing relevant legal precedents.
After both parties made their concluding arguments, the high court reserved its judgment, extending KTR’s protection from arrest until the decision was made. The Advocate general submitted documents on the terms and conditions to be followed during cash payments.
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