Former Navy officer founder-member of Adarsh Society?

The name of another senior defence services officer surfaced in the controversy over Adarsh Housing Society scam as documents have emerged to show that Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin was one of its founder members.

The name of another senior defence services officer surfaced in the controversy over Adarsh Housing Society scam as documents have emerged to show that Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin was one of its founder members.

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A document made available to PTI by sources in the government who do not wish to be identified, shows Bhasin as one of the promoters.

The date and time of the meeting, however, are not mentioned.

Bhasin, then a Rear Admiral, is one of the eight members who have signed the document. Others include Lt Gen K S Brar (Retd), VADM M J Singh, Commander V K Janardhanan, Commander J Paul, Commander Rajeev Chandoke (who has not signed) and RADM K Mohan Rao.

The authority was vested in CDR John E Mathew as the chief promoter of the proposed Adarsh society-plot number c-600, the document says.

It was Bhasin who had brought the spotlight on the present row when he wrote to the Navy chief on July 5 this year warning of a conspiracy to take over the prime land reserved for war widows and Kargil veterans.

Three former chiefs of defence services General Deepak Kapoor, Admiral Madhavendra Singh and General N C Vij, besides a host of politicians and bureaucrats figure in the list of allotees in the apartment building. Three of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's kin also owned flats in the building.

CBI is investigating the matter and the state government revoked occupancy certificates following the uproar.

When contacted, Bhasin said "I have nothing to do with Adarsh society and becoming its member is completely out of question."

"I don't know what kind of documents are these having no date and time of the meeting they are claiming. I cannot comment on them," he said.

Bhasin said he neither applied for any membership nor attended any meeting but wrote about irregularities of the society to the State Government and other agencies.