KTR not to be arrested till Dec 30: Telangana HC breather in Formula-E race case
Hyderabad, Dec. 20: In a temporary relief to BRS leader KT Rama Rao, the Telangana High Court on Friday directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau officials not to arrest him till December 30 in the Formula-E race case.
High Court judge Justice Natcharaju Shravan Kumar Venkat was hearing a Lunch Motion petition moved by Rama Rao (also known as KTR) seeking to quash the FIR filed against him by the ACB.
The HC, while granting interim relief, directed the petitioner to cooperate with the investigation and posted the matter next week for further hearing. The government was directed to file its counter.
The Telangana ACB on Thursday registered a case against BRS working president and MLA Rama Rao over alleged payments, some of it in foreign currency without approvals, to conduct Formula-E race in Hyderabad during the previous regime.
Governor Jishnu Dev Varma had recently granted permission to register a case against Rama Rao, over the issue. The FIR named Rama Rao as prime accused, senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy as accused no 2 and 3 respectively.
The case was registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections dealing with criminal breach of trust, conspiracy under IPC.
“Where is corruption in this? We have paid Rs 55 crore. They (Formula-E) acknowledged the payment. This is a straightforward account. HMDA has an account in Indian Overseas Bank and money has been transferred from that account..." Rama Rao had said reacting to the case.
Earlier this year, the government had sought an explanation from Arvind Kumar over signing an agreement concerning the Formula-E race allegedly without the approval of the competent authority and also making a payment of Rs 55 crore with majority of it in foreign currency.
Formula-E had announced the cancellation of Hyderabad E-Prix, alleging a contract breach by the new Telangana government. The second Formula-E Race in India was slated to be held on February 10.
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China confirms its support to Pakistan during four-day conflict with India
Beijing (PTI): China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said.
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.
"At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.
What drove his team was the "desire to do an even better job with on site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.
