Adarsh society scam: CBI to file charge sheet in 8 weeks

The CBI plans to file a charge sheet in the Adarsh Housing Society scam within eight weeks, almost a year after it registered a case against 14 people, including former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan.

"Charge sheet in the main scam would be filed in eight weeks against 14 people and in the missing files case within four weeks," CBI counsel DN Salvi informed the Bombay High Court today. The court was hearing a batch of PILs filed by social activists seeking its monitoring of investigations.

Four persons had been arrested in connection with the case in which important files relating to the society had gone missing from the urban development department.

The CBI, which was handed over the probe by Defence Ministry, had registered an FIR on January 29 against 14 people including defence officials and bureaucrats. The Defence Ministry has claimed ownership of the land on which the 31-storey building stands in upscale Colaba.

The court was also informed by I-T department, which is looking into the source of funding of society members, that reassessment of investments made by several of them was on.

"Scrutiny notices have been issued to several members. Nine members have explained their source of funds. Reassessment of other members' investments are being conducted," advocate Suresh Kumar, appearing for I-T, said.

The division bench headed by Justice S A Bobade directed I-T department to share information with CBI to enable the investigating agency to also effectively look into alleged 'benami' transactions.

The court also directed the ED to inform it on the next hearing on February 14 the possibility of applicability of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case.

Apart from Chavan, the FIR also names suspended state Information Commissioner Ramanand Tiwari, society's general secretary RC Thakur, Brig (retd) MM Wanchoo, Congress leader KL Gidwani, Lt Gen (retd) PK Rampal, Majors General AR Kumar and TK Kaul, Brig (retd) RC Sharma, Pradeep Vyas, then collector and PV Deshmukh, then deputy secretary of Urban Development department.

The FIR has been filed under various IPC sections including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery and showing forged document as genuine besides sections pertaining to Prevention of Corruption Act.