Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former Telangana minister K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) is reportedly under the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), controlled by the Narendra Modi government, rather than the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which operates under the Revanth Reddy-led government.
On Thursday, KTR appeared before the ED in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the conduct of the Formula E race last year. This sparked speculation that the ED might take him into custody after the questioning.
Anticipating his arrest, hundreds of BRS workers gathered at the ED office in Basheerbagh, prompting heavy security deployment with around 200 police personnel. Tear gas and water cannon vehicles were on standby.
Tensions flared as a scuffle broke out when the police attempted to prevent BRS workers from entering the premises.
The ED is investigating a ₹45.7 crore transfer from a Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) account to a foreign company without Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approval.
KTR is being questioned regarding this transaction, with the inquiry also drawing on statements from Arvind Kumar, the former Special Chief Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, and BLN Reddy, the former HMDA Chief Engineer.
While the ACB is probing alleged rule violations in the Formula E race, the ED has initiated its own investigation into the foreign fund transfer.
It is worth noting that both the Telangana High Court and the Supreme Court had previously dismissed KTR’s petitions to quash the ACB's FIR, paving the way for the ED to proceed with its investigation.
