In a big setback to Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and former Telangana minister K T Rama Rao, the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected his petition to quash the FIR lodged against him in the Formula-E car race case.
A division bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Prasanna B. Varale which heard the arguments over the KTR’s petition, refused to interfere in the investigation in the case and refused to pass any order against the high court judgement.
Senior Supreme Court advocate Sundaram, who argued on behalf of KTR, said he was withdrawing the petition seeking to set aside the high court judgement.
Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, who argued on behalf of the government, said it was not appropriate to quash the case which is still in the investigation stage.
The case is related to alleged financial irregularities in the conduct of Formula-E race in Hyderabad during the BRS regime.
Last week, KTR moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the state high court which dismissed his petition.
Meanwhile, the Telangana government has already filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting that no decision be made on KTR's petition without hearing their arguments.
On January 9, KTR filed a quash petition in the Supreme Court. However, the Chief Justice refused to take it up for hearing on January 10 (Friday), stating that it would be heard on January 15.
The Chief Justice opined that there was no urgency to hear KTR's petition immediately.
It is known that the Telangana High Court dismissed the quash petition filed by KTR in the Formula E car race case, along with rejecting interim orders.
Consequently, KTR challenged the High Court's verdict in the Supreme Court.
Despite urgent requests from KTR’s legal counsel, the Chief Justice of India declined to hear the case immediately.
