CBI should disclose Deshmukh’s, others’ roles in Adarsh scam: PIL

Social activist Pravin Wategaonkar on Wednesday approached the Bombay high court seeking direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a report on its investigations against former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Jitendra Avhad, IAS officer Devyani Khobragade and others.

Social activist Pravin Wategaonkar on Wednesday approached the Bombay high court seeking direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a report on its investigations against former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Jitendra Avhad, IAS officer Devyani Khobragade and others.

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Relying on Deshmukh's deposition before a two-member inquiry commission that he had carved out space for the Adarsh housing society by deleting the proposed widening of Captain Prakash Pethe Marg, Wategaonkar alleged that the former chief minister was culpable of criminal misconduct on part of a public servant as defined under section 13 (d) (iii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The application states that the move was contrary to public interest and amounted to a deliberate act of omission on part of Deshmukh, who had cleared the deletion although an objection was raised by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

Wategaonkar has also sought report of investigations pertaining to Avhad. According to the income tax department and the CBI, Avhad had paid Rs60 lakh for the flat in the housing society. However, he told the inquiry commission that he had paid an aggregate sum of Rs79 lakh.

The Thane resident also questioned the payments made directly by JITnat Infra to the housing society on Avhad’s behalf.

Apart from that, Wategaonkar questioned the sources of funds used by Khobragade to purchase a flat in the society.

A division bench of justice SA Bobade and justice Mridula Bhatkar has kept the petition for hearing on August 3 along with the other PILs in the scam.