Formula E case: IAS officer Arvind Kumar, former CE BLN Reddy seek additional time to appear before ED
The Hindu
Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar, former HMDA chief engineer BLN Reddy seek additional time to appear before ED in connection with alleged financial irregularities during Hyderabad Formula E race.
Senior IAS officer and special chief secretary Arvind Kumar and former Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) chief engineer BLN Reddy have sought additional time after being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged financial irregularities during the Hyderabad Formula E race in February 2023.
Mr. Reddy and Mr. Kumar were summoned by the ED and were to appear on January 2 and 3. Both have requested additional time, citing personal reasons. Sources in the department confirmed this and said that new dates will be given to the officers to appear for questioning.
The ED has also summoned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former IT Minister of the State K.T. Rama Rao, who is scheduled to appear on January 7.
The case stems from an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on December 19, 2024, based on a complaint by Principal Secretary M. Dana Kishore. The FIR alleges irregularities in payments exceeding ₹54.88 crore made by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to Formula-E Operations Limited (FEO) and associated entities without adhering to established financial procedures.
According to the FIR, ₹45.7 crore was remitted to FEO between September and October 2023, despite FEO terminating its agreement with the Telangana government during the same period. This amount also incurred a tax liability of ₹8.06 crore, which was borne by HMDA.
A tripartite agreement signed in October 2022 between the Telangana government, FEO, and event sponsor Ace Nxt Gen Pvt. Ltd. had limited the State government’s financial responsibility. However, the FIR alleges that disputes between FEO and Ace Nxt Gen Pvt. Ltd. led to the government assuming financial liability without regulatory approvals, causing losses to the exchequer.
As the ED investigates the flow of funds and potential procedural violations, the involvement of senior officials and political leaders has intensified public scrutiny.
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