Mumbai: The CBI will file 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 D N 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 R C Thakur, Brig (retd) M M Wanchoo, Congress leader
K L Gidwani, Lt Gen (retd) P K Rampal, Majors General A R
Kumar and T K Kaul, Brig (retd) R C Sharma, Pradeep Vyas, then
collector and P V 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.
PTI
