Hyderabad: Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar appeared before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with alleged irregularities surrounding the Formula E car race held in Hyderabad last year. Named as A2 in the case, Arvind faced questioning based on statements already recorded from K.T. Rama Rao (A1) and B.L.N. Reddy (A3), both of whom were previously examined twice by the agency.
The ACB had booked a case alleging a loss of ₹54.88 crore to the government after funds were paid in violation of rules to a foreign agency for the 2023 Formula E race. Investigators are probing why payments were cleared even after Formula E Operations (FEO) had withdrawn from the event.
Authorities flagged multiple violations: release of funds without approval from the finance department, bypassing cabinet clearance, and entering into a ₹600-crore agreement for future races without proper procedure while the election code was in force.
As then HMDA Commissioner, Arvind Kumar had earlier provided a written explanation to the government admitting that funds were released on instructions from K.T. Rama Rao, then holding the municipal administration portfolio. He also confirmed this to the ACB during his appearance.
