Bombay High Court demands CBI reply to PIL on Adarsh scam

The Bombay high court on Thursday asked the CBI to file its response in a public interest litigation seeking further investigation into the Adarsh society scam since the agency’s chargesheet was allegedly silent on two “high and mighty people” who dealt with files related to the cooperative society.

According to the petitioner, four flats had been reserved for two individuals to seek favours from them. The division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.A. Sayed was hearing a petition filed by social activist Pravin Wategaonkar on the Adarsh scam.

Mr Wategaonkar stated that while investigating the Adarsh scam, the CBI had arrested former MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani, one of the founder members of Adarsh. While seeking Mr Gidwani’s custody, the CBI had stated in its remand application that there were some high and mighty people involved in the scam as they dealt with files related to Adarsh and hence, four flats were reserved for them.

According to the petitioner, the CBI never revealed their names in the main as well as supplementary chargesheets; therefore he requested the court to give direction to the CBI and ask them to reveal those names before the court and also produce document related to the case in the court.

On Thursday, the HC observed that recently another bench had ordered to demolish Adarsh Society and in that order directed the state government to investigate and take action against those government officers who were involved in building of Adarsh society. The court also observed that members of Adarsh society have challenged the high court order, but the Supreme Court had not put any stay on this order so this would be binding on everybody.

The high court has asked additional solicitor general (ASG) Anil Singh to file reply on all the prayers mentioned in the PIL. One of the prayers raises question as to why the CBI never mentioned those high and mighty people in their chargesheets. The court also asked the CBI to file reply within a week in a sealed envelope.