Formula-E Case: KTR questioned for eight hours by ACB

Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and former minister K.T. Rama Rao. File
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao’s eight-hour appearance before the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday (June 16) over the ₹54 crore Formula-E deal turned Banjara Hills into a high-security zone, fuelling speculation of arrest and forcing authorities to lock down key areas.

The questioning began in the morning at 10 a.m. and stretched close to eight hours, with sources confirming that KTR was grilled about the nature of the financial transactions.

He was also directed to submit all mobile phones he used between 2021 and 2023. “The phones are asked to be submitted as part of the investigation,” said an officer from the ACB. When asked about his next summons, the officer said that the bureau will now analyse his answers and formulate it before taking further calls on the probe.

Security around Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, was heightened from early morning. The elaborate bandobast squad included one DCP, six ACPs, three Additional SPs, around 20 inspector rank officers, 32 sub-inspectors, and 12 platoons.

Shops in the vicinity, including the popular Café Niloufer, were ordered shut for about 30 minutes by police, even as customers sat inside. The gates of Telangana Bhavan, situated next to the Integrated Command and Control Centre, were locked temporarily.

Roads leading to the ACB office were barricaded, with the public and media initially pushed back 300 metres. Journalists were later allowed to cover events from a 100-metre radius. Only Mr. KT Rama Rao’s vehicle and that of his advocate were permitted beyond the barricades.

Despite the clampdown, a crowd of BRS cadres began to gather. Tension simmered throughout the day as speculation about a possible arrest took over. Post-questioning, Mr. Rama Rao was given a loud reception at Telangana Bhavan, with workers bursting crackers inside the premises in celebration.

An FIR was registered against Mr. Rama Rao on December 19, 2024, in relation to suspected irregularities in the planning and execution of the Formula-E event held in February 2023.