Hearing on CBI charge sheet deferred again

Even two months after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet in the Adarsh housing scam, the special CBI court is yet to take cognisance of the case.

Even two months after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet in the Adarsh housing scam, the special CBI court is yet to take cognisance of the case.

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The court, on Thursday, once again deferred the hearing on the charge sheet filed against 13 accused, including former chief minister Ashok Chavan, to September 17.

The CBI had on July 4, filed a 10,000-page charge sheet. However, the state and the accused had raised objections before the Bombay high court saying the CBI had no jurisdiction to probe the case.

The special CBI court had deferred the hearing on the process of taking cognisance of the charge sheet as the issue of jurisdiction is pending before the high court.

Special public prosecutor Ejaz Khan had, in his argument on August 6, submitted that there was no legal impediment as the high court hearing the case had not stayed the process of taking cognisance or passed any order of restraint.

Khan also informed the court that only the jurisdiction of the investigating agency was challenged not the charge sheet.