The Bombay High Court has asked the CBI yesterday to again open the investigations concerning the Adarsh scam, and focus on the four benami (proxy) flats owned by MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani and also probe into the alleged role of politicians and bureaucrats in allotting land for Adarsh Society
The Bombay High Court has asked the CBI yesterday to again open the investigations concerning the Adarsh scam, and focus on the four benami (proxy) flats owned by MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani and also probe into the alleged role of politicians and bureaucrats in allotting land for Adarsh Society.
When the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested Gidwani, the key accused of the scam in 2011, it had asked the CBI court for a day’s custody, so that the agency can prepare a chargesheet mentioning the proxy flats.
However, when in the last three hearings at the HC, the national investigation agency could give any satisfactory answer.
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The bench of justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed had also asked the CBI Joint Director of Western Region to be present during the three sessions but he did not turn up. Yesterday he did come, so the HC came down heavily on the agency.
In the petition, Pravin Wategaonkar had claimed that Gidwani had four benami flats apart from owning three others, so even though the CBI tried telling the court that Gidwani’s name should be erased from the probe since he has died in 2012 and the Adarsh matter have been closed in May 2014, after the second supplementary chargesheet was filed, the court insisted to investigate on the allegations made by Wategaonkar.
Further, the CBI has also been directed to probe the land allotment angle, which can pose a problem for a former chief minister, whose son-in-law is a beneficiary in Adarsh CHS.
The CBI will now have to inform the CBI court about the HC order and then submit a report to the HC bench by December 16.