HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is ramping up its investigations into several high-profile cases in Telangana, involving allegations of money laundering and violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
These cases span the Formula E Race, Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) ticket sale irregularities, Bhoodan land misuse, Irrigation Department corruption, and the promotion of illegal online betting apps. Prominent figures, including politicians, bureaucrats, film stars, and influencers, are under scrutiny, creating significant political and public interest.
The ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President and former minister KT Rama Rao, former Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) principal secretary Arvind Kumar among others.
The case is based on the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s FIR alleging that Rs 55 crore was transferred to Formula E race organisers in London in February 2023 without proper approvals, violating financial norms and FEMA regulations.
The ED questioned Rama Rao on January 7, 2025, and Arvind Kumar on January 2, 2025, regarding the unauthorised transfer, which also incurred an Rs 8.06 crore penalty from the Reserve Bank of India.
Sources indicate the ED plans to summon Rama Rao, Arvind Kumar, and others for further questioning. The case has sparked debate, with BRS alleging political vendetta by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s Congress government, while the latter insists the probe targets corruption, not politics.
HCA irregularities
The ED is investigating allegations of financial irregularities exceeding Rs 100 crore in the HCA, focusing on ticket sale mismanagement and other financial misconduct. An ECIR has been filed under PMLA and FEMA, building on a Crime Investigation Department (CID) probe.
HCA president A Jagan Mohan Rao was taken for questioning by the CID on July 18, 2025, and he faces legal action. The ED is likely to seek custody of the accused for interrogation through a petition in a special court. Political circles are abuzz with speculation that Jagan Mohan Rao’s affiliation with the BRS may have influenced the probe.
The ED has registered an ECIR against 29 individuals, including Telugu film actors Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, Naga Chaitanya, Naga Vamsi, Venkatesh, Manchu Lakshmi, and others, along with YouTubers and social media influencers, for allegedly promoting illegal online betting apps.
The agency claims these promotions misled youth through deceptive advertisements, violating PMLA. Summons have been issued to these individuals to appear the agency starting July 25, generating significant public interest.
The Telangana government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on March 27, 2025, to enforce a ban on such apps, with cases already registered against 25 individuals.
Corruption in Irrigation dept
The ED is probing allegations of corruption in the Irrigation department, particularly the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIS), following an ACB investigation. The ACB arrested a former engineer-in-chief and other key engineers, suspecting assets worth over `100 crore amassed through corrupt practices.
The ED has sought details from the ACB to register an ECIR under PMLA. The PC Ghose Commission, tasked with investigating KLIS irregularities, is nearing completion, with a report expected by late January or February 2026. The commission is examining cost escalations and poor maintenance of barrages, including the Medigadda barrage, and may summon former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Rama Rao, and former Irrigation minister T Harish Rao.
The Vigilance and Enforcement Department and National Dam Safety Authority have also flagged issues in the project’s planning, design, and quality control. The ED is investigating allegations of money laundering linked to the illegal grabbing of Bhoodan lands in Nagaram village, Rangareddy district.
On April 24, the Telangana High Court issued notices to 76 respondents, including IAS officers Navin Mittal, D Amoy Kumar, S Harish, and IPS officers Ravi Gupta, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, T Srinivas Rao, Sowmya Mishra, Swati Lakra and Tarun Joshi, among others.
The ED’s probe focuses on land transactions involving bureaucrats and alleged culprits, with several officers filing petitions in the high court to present their side. The court has ordered that the lands be listed as prohibited properties and barred from any changes or alienation until further notice.