Former civic chief, UDD secy not cooperating, says CBI
The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Thursday extended the CBI custody of former principal secretary of urban development department Ramanand Tiwari and former civic commissioner Jairaj Phatak — arrested for their alleged role in the Adarsh society scam — till April 17.
The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Thursday extended the CBI custody of former principal secretary of urban development department Ramanand Tiwari and former civic commissioner Jairaj Phatak — arrested for their alleged role in the Adarsh society scam — till April 17.
The agency alleged that during his tenure as the principal secretary of the UDD, Tiwari had sent a letter to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) seeking a no objection certificate (NOC) for the development of the society. At that time, the land for the society, too, had not been allotted.
The MoEF had responded with a letter clarifying the powers assigned to the state government to carry out development in a Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ).
The department misrepresented the letter as MoEF’s NOC, which was then communicated to the chief engineer of the development plan department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said the CBI.
Defining Phatak’s role, the agency alleged that he had conspired with other accused to regularise the height of the building without referring it back to the high-rise committee. Phatak gave the said approval on the last day of his tenure as the municipal commissioner of BMC, and thereafter proceeded on a central government deputation.
While seeking an extension to the custody, the CBI said that the duo has not been cooperative during the investigation. The officials alleged that Tiwari had not disclosed the circumstances under which the information on the purported NOC obtained from the MoEF was conveyed to the BMC or the deletion of the reservation of BEST plot was carried out. They further alleged that Phatak, too, has not yet disclosed the circumstances under which the increased height of Adarsh building was regularised.
chavan may get interim report on adarsh today The two-member Adarsh Commission is likely to submit its interim report to the chief minister on Friday. The report could prove whether the state or the defence owns the land. However, the report will not be made public immediately.