Why is IAS Officer Arvind Kumar Being Summoned Again in the Formula E Race Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- ACB Summons: IAS Officer Arvind Kumar is summoned by the ACB for questioning.
- Misuse of Funds: Allegations of unauthorized use of government funds are being investigated.
- Political Scrutiny: Former minister K. T. Rama Rao has also faced questioning.
- Legal Proceedings: An FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered.
- Public Interest: The case highlights the importance of accountability in governance.
Hyderabad, July 2 (NationPress) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana has once again called upon senior IAS officer and Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar for interrogation regarding the Formula E race case.
The agency is investigating allegations surrounding the unauthorized use of government funds and has instructed him to appear on Thursday.
Kumar received the summons just two days after returning from a month-long leave.
This latest development follows the questioning of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former minister K. T. Rama Rao by the ACB for the second time.
This marks the second occasion that Arvind Kumar will face questioning by the ACB, having previously appeared before the anti-graft agency in January. During that session, he reportedly told investigators that he transferred funds based on directives from superior authorities.
The ACB interrogated K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) for nearly eight hours on June 16.
The former minister had previously been questioned on January 9 regarding the conduct of the Formula E race in Hyderabad in January 2023, a period when the BRS was in power.
The ACB initiated a case in December against KTR, former Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department, and former Chief Engineer of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), B.L.N. Reddy, for alleged irregularities amounting to Rs 54.88 crore in the Formula E deal.
The FIR was filed following a complaint from the Principal Secretary of the MA&UD department, M. Dana Kishore, who alleged that foreign transactions occurred without the necessary approvals, leading to an additional tax burden of Rs. 8.06 crore to HMDA.
Additionally, the complaint asserted that payments were made during the Model Code of Conduct period for the State Legislative Assembly elections, without the prior consent of the Election Commission of India.
The FIR was lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as sections 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
After his second appearance before the ACB on June 16, KTR declared that he was not afraid of arrest and challenged the ACB officials to demonstrate corruption linked to the case.
He asserted that the Formula E race enhanced Telangana's profile, accusing the Revanth Reddy administration of tarnishing the state's reputation.