Hyderabad, Jan 8 Special Chief Secretary, Telangana government, Arvind Kumar appeared before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a Formula-E race case on Wednesday.
The senior Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) reached the ACB headquarters in Banjara Hills around 10 a.m.
The ACB, which is probing the alleged financial irregularities in conducting the Formula-E race in Hyderabad in 2023, is likely to question the official about the transfer of Rs 54.88 crore to Formula-E Operations Limited (FEO).
As the then Special Chief Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, Arvind Kumar, who is the second accused in the case, had played a key role in payments to the UK-based FEO from Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
The ACB is likely to record the statement of Arvind Kumar, who was issued a memo in January last year by the state government seeking an explanation for entering into an agreement for conducting the Formula-E race while the Model Code of Conduct was in force.
The senior IAS official had reportedly stated in his response to the memo that he issued orders for the transfer of money on the direction of the then Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (KTR).
The ACB registered a First Information Report (FIR) against KTR, Arvind Kumar and former Chief Engineer of HMDA B.L.N. Reddy for alleged irregularities in payment by HMDA to FEO and associated entities without adhering to established financial procedures.
The FIR was registered under Sections 13 (1) (A) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Sections 409 and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code. The ACB had summoned KTR on January 6. He, however, returned from the ACB office after his lawyer was not allowed to be present during questioning.
The ACB issued another notice to him the same day, directing him to appear before it on January 9.
The Telangana High Court on January 7 dismissed KTR’s petition to quash the FIR. The court also refused to pass orders to ACB not to arrest him. The BRS working president has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, former HMDA Chief Engineer B.L.N. Reddy appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the same case. The ED is conducting the probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on the FIR filed by the ACB.
The Central agency is looking into possible violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
The ED on Tuesday issued a fresh notice to KTR, directing him to appear before it on January 16 after he failed to present himself before the agency on Tuesday. The BRS leader had sought more time to appear before the agency.
Arvind Kumar is scheduled to appear before the ED on January 9. The ED had earlier issued notices to B.L.N. Reddy and Arvind Kumar to appear on January 2 and 3 respectively but they sought more time.
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