Followed KTR’s orders: Arvind Kumar to ACB

Hyderabad: Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar, who worked as the HMDA commissioner during the previous BRS government, has reportedly told the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials that he directed HMDA officer B.L.N. Reddy — on the directions of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, who was the minister of municipal administration and urban development — to transfer funds from the HMDA accounts to the UK-based Formula E racing Operations Limited.

ACB officials on Thursday grilled Arvind Kumar for more than five hours at the ACB's headquarters at Banjara Hills in connection with the Formula E racing irregularities case. It was the second time that Arvind Kumar, who is one of the accused in the case, appeared before the agency for questioning.

The ACB officials questioned Arvind Kumar based on a statement recorded by Rama Rao a few days ago. They asked the senior IAS officer whether he had an opportunity to discuss the violation of rules with the minister concerned in transferring funds from HMDA. Arvind Kumar reportedly replied to the ACB officials that there was no choice other than transferring the funds based on the instructions issued by the minister of the day.

ACB officials also found fault with Arvind Kumar for making payments for season 10 of the Formula E racing held in Hyderabad without clearing the payment for season 9 events.

Sources said the IAS officer replied that he merely executed whatever the then minister’s instructions by transferring `54 crore to the accounts of Formula E racing Operations Limited from HMDA’s bank account at Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Himayatnagar branch.

ACB officials asked the IAS officer to be available for the next questioning.