CBI registers case in Adarsh housing society scam

Mumbai, Jan 29 (PTI) The CBI today registered a caseagainst some retired Army officials and bureaucrats ofMaharashtra government in connection with the Adarsh housingsociety scam.

The case was registered after the CBI last weekreceived flak from the Bombay High Court for its tardy probein the case.

It was not immediately clear whether the name offormer Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan figures in theFIR registered at the special designated court in Mumbai.

The CBI FIR names two former senior Army officials ofthe rank of Major General and Brigadier, sources said.

The agency had registered a preliminary enquiry intothe scam in November last year.

The decision to register a case was taken afterseeking a legal opinion on the evidence which had favouredregistering of a case against some people for allegedlyforging the documents and abusing official position.

During hearing of a petition in the Adarsh case, adivision bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and U D Salvi hadasked CBI why it had not registered the case.

"It has been more than two months since CBI has beenconducting a preliminary inquiry into the case. Why have you(CBI) not registered FIR as yet?," it had asked.

Two former army chiefs Gen Deepak Kapoor and Gen NC Vij and ex-navy chief Admiral Madhavendra Singh owned flatsin the scam-hit society building in upscale Colaba. However,the former top chiefs have claimed that they have nowsurrendered the flats.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests hadon January 16 ordered demolition of the building within threemonths, holding it as "unauthorised" and built in violation ofthe spirit of coastal regulations.

Apart from violating the CRZ norms, the society isalleged to have got clearances from various authoritiesthrough dubious means.

The plush housing society, built on prime defenceland has been constructed in alleged violation of rules. Thebuilding was originally meant to be a six-storey structure tohouse Kargil war heroes and their kin but was later extendedto 31 floors without mandatory permission.

Chavan had resigned as chief minister in the wake ofthe scam.