Was unaware who possessed Adarsh land: Chief promoter

In a revelation that throws further doubt on the possession of land in the Adarsh housing society case, Kanhaiyalal Gidwani, one of the chief promoters of the society, said that he was not sure which authority was in possession of the land, and that his knowledge was based mainly on hearsay.

In a revelation that throws further doubt on the possession of land in the Adarsh housing society case, Kanhaiyalal Gidwani, one of the chief promoters of the society, said that he was not sure which authority was in possession of the land, and that his knowledge was based mainly on hearsay.

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Deposing before the two-member Adarsh Inquiry Commission, Gidwani said: “It is correct to say that my knowledge about the fact of possession, with respect to the land in question, was not based on my personal knowledge, but on hearsay.”

He added that right from when he saw the plots, till the allotment of land to the society, he did not feel it necessary to verify in whose possession the land was.

However, he admitted that he had written letters stating that the land belonged to the Local Military Authority. “It is correct to say that my statements in my letters, that the land in question was in possession of the LMA, was based on incomplete knowledge and information,” he added.

He said that a clarification given by the MoEF to the state government was interpreted as a clearance given to the society.

In Monday’s deposition, Gidwani also admitted that he had applied for additional Floor Space Index (FSI) for the society, despite a Letter of Intent (LOI) not being issued to the society.

He however denied that there had been any understanding between him and the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and other bureaucrats.

The controversial Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society, located at Cuffe Parade, plummeted to the limelight when it was revealed that houses in luxurious 31-storey high-rise, meant for Kargil war heroes and war widows, had been allotted to politicians and bureaucrats.