The ACB special court in Hyderabad adjourned the Formula E case hearing to December 4 after BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, the main accused in the alleged irregularities case, was granted exemption from personal appearance on Friday citing personal reasons.
Rama Rao’s counsel filed the exemption petition before the ACB special court at Nampally, and the court allowed it. Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former HMDA chief engineer B.L. N. Reddy, listed as the second and third accused, appeared before the court.
The court also issued a non-bailable warrant against G. Kiran Malleswara Rao, the fourth accused, after he arrived late for the hearing. His advocate, Ashok Reddy, subsequently filed a recall petition, following which the warrant was recalled.
The case concerns alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Formula E race in Hyderabad. The Anti-Corruption Bureau registered the case in December 2024 against Rama Rao and others, alleging that ₹55 crore was diverted to UK-based Formula E Operations Limited in violation of prescribed procedures. The allegations have not been established by a court.
The ACB filed a chargesheet in March 2026 against Rama Rao, Arvind Kumar, B.L. N. Reddy, Ace Nxt Gen executive G. Kiran Malleswara Rao and Formula E Operations representative Alberto Longo. Longo, identified in the case as the fifth accused, had earlier been issued a notice by the court.
The proceedings involve former political and administrative officials connected with the organisation of the international electric-car racing event in Hyderabad. The case therefore places both the event’s financial arrangements and the administrative procedures followed for public-sector involvement under judicial scrutiny.
Public prosecutor G.V. Shobhanadri appeared for the government during Friday’s hearing. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for December 4, when the court is expected to take up the matter after the appearance-related applications and proceedings recorded on Friday.
