Adarsh scam: Maharashtra govt continues to oppose CBI investigation

The state government on Friday reiterated its stand of opposing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Adarsh housing society scam, HT reports.

The state government on Friday reiterated its stand of opposing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Adarsh housing society scam.

Responding to a petition filed by former chief minister Ashok Chavan seeking quashing of an FIR registered by CBI in the Adarsh scam, special counsel for the state government, Anil Sakhare, said the state government had neither given consent for a CBI investigation nor requested the central agency to carry out the investigation.

Sakhare also submitted two affidavits filed by the state government in reply to a bunch of public interest litigations seeking CBI investigation into the scam.

In the affidavits, the state government has taken the stand that the issues involved in the alleged scam were state subjects and the central government had little or no concern with them, and therefore, there was no reason for the CBI to undertake the investigation.

The division bench of justice PV Hardas and justice AR Joshi has now posted the petition for hearing on April 22 after additional solicitor general Kevic Setalwad sought to file an intervention application on behalf of the ministry of defence to oppose the petition filed by Chavan.

On January 29, 2011, the CBI had registered an FIR and booked 13 persons for their purported role in the housing society scam under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a separate case against some of the accused for alleged money laundering.