CBI court adjourns Adarsh hearing to Aug 6

The special CBI court, which was to take cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the Adarsh housing scam on Monday, put off the hearing till August 6 after it was pointed out that a PIL filed by the state government challenging the agency’s jurisdiction in the case is pending before the Bombay high court.

The special CBI court, which was to take cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the Adarsh housing scam on Monday, put off the hearing till August 6 after it was pointed out that a PIL filed by the state government challenging the agency’s jurisdiction in the case is pending before the Bombay high court.

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The state government and the ministry of defence are locked in legal battle over whether the CBI can investigate into the alleged scam after a state-appointed judicial panel submitted an interim report in April stating that the land on which the 31-storey Colaba tower stands belongs to the state. The high court is scheduled to decide the matter on August 3.

The CBI on July 4 filed a 10,000-page charge sheet in the case against 13 persons, including former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan, for irregularities in land allotment and on charges of conspiracy and abetment.

During a hearing on July 10, the special CBI court had said it would hear the CBI counsel before taking cognisance of the charge sheet, following which all the accused, including Chavan, would be issued summons to appear before the court.

During the hearing on Monday, the advocates for the accused as well as the prosecution pointed out that there is a dispute of jurisdiction pending before the Bombay high court, after which the court adjourned the hearing.