The Telangana High Court on Friday extended the relief granted to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR), protecting him from arrest for one more day in connection with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case related to the Formula E car race scandal.
The court directed the ACB not to arrest KTR until December 31, when it will hear arguments on his quash petition.
Earlier, on December 20, the court refused to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the ACB against KTR but granted him interim relief from arrest until December 30. The ACB was directed to file a counter to KTR’s petition within a week.
On Friday, the ACB submitted its counter petition, opposing KTR’s plea to quash the FIR.
The bureau argued for the withdrawal of the relief granted to KTR, claiming that such an order would hinder a thorough investigation.
It requested the court to allow a comprehensive probe into the case, stating that bail or protection from arrest would create an unfavorable environment for the investigation.
The court also asked KTR and the state government to submit their respective counter-affidavits.
The next hearing has been scheduled for December 31, during which the court will conduct a full hearing on KTR’s "Not to Arrest" petition and the counter-petitions filed by the ACB.
Additionally, the ACB filed another petition seeking to revoke the "Not to Arrest" order, naming KTR as a respondent. Consequently, KTR will be required to file a counter to this petition.
On December 31, the court will hear arguments on both the government's case concerning the Formula E Racing scandal and KTR’s counter-petitions against the ACB's requests, determining the next course of action in this high-profile case.