ACB closing in on top babus & BRS leaders

Highlights

Rs 55 cr released to racing agency without nod from Finance wing

Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is likely to serve notices on officials alleged to be involved in ‘Formula E’ racing scam, representatives of the racing company and a few senior BRS leaders within a week.

The ACB, it is learnt, was collecting evidence from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development wing to establish the role of officials and influential leaders, including former Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao in the scam.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Rs 55 crore was misused by releasing the funds to the agency directly without the consent of the Finance department. Officials of the probing agency said that former Secretary to MAUD wing Arvind Kumar admitted that Rs 55 crore were released on the instructions of the then MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao. Soon after coming to power, the Congress government cancelled the agreement entered between the government and the racing agency. Based on a fresh complaint lodged by the MAUD wing last week, the ACB has intensified the probe into the Rs 200 crore racing project for the conduct of the racing event.

It may be mentioned here that the previous government permitted laying of a special track for conducting the race in February last and the agency hosted a racing competition around Hussain Sagar. Greenko has spent Rs150 crore and Hyderabad Racing Limited Rs 30 crore. HMDA has also spent Rs 20 crore to develop the road track and other infrastructure. The MAUD officials signed an agreement with Formula-E Operation (FEO) in October 2023 to hold it once again (Session-10) on February 10, 2024. For this HMDA has paid Rs 55 crore to the FEO.

Officials said that the ACB has gathered evidence to give notices to KTR. The intensified probe would help to bring out more details to prove the charges regarding the role of the former minister in the scam with strong evidence, officials claim. Cases would be booked against all those against whom evidence was found, they add.