On Monday morning there was a standoff between Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president and former minister KT Rama Rao and the Telangana Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) outside the agency’s office in Banjara Hills.
KTR said that the ACB refused to allow his lawyer to be present with him while his statement was being recorded. About 45 minutes after reaching the ACB office, KTR and his legal team remained in their car outside. He ended up leaving without writing his statement, after the ACB officials accepted the response to the notice given to him to appear before it, sent by his lawyer.
The ACB has summoned KTR to record his statement regarding the Formula E racing case involving the alleged transfer of Rs 45 million to a foreign company, Formula-E Organizers (FOE), in February 2023.
“I have the right to have a lawyer when I record a statement. I don’t trust the ACB and the police. They did bad things about former BRS MP P Narender Reddy in the Lagacharla case. They said he had issued a confession statement but the next day the former MP told the judge that he had not given it. I don’t want the same situation,” he said.
“They are also planning to send an ED team to my house, and I strongly suspect that they will plant evidence. I am a law abiding citizen, and I will appear before the ACB, but I have the right to have a lawyer present with me. I don’t trust this government and the police are working under the orders of a third class criminal like (Chief Minister) Revanth Reddy,” said KTR.
He said he did not understand why the ACB had asked him to appear even though the Telangana HC had granted him temporary relief from arrest. “The HC has withheld its orders till now, but why did the ACB ask me to appear. I don’t understand. I have full faith in justice. I am ready to appear before the ACB, but I want my lawyer to be there with me,” he said.
KTR argued with the ACB officials that he should be allowed with his lawyer, or allow his lawyer to submit his reply to the ACB notice.
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