Ashok Chavan says CBI biased, politically motivated by BJP

Mumbai: Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra’s former chief minister and a Congress MP, on Monday alleged before the Bombay high court that the decision of the state’s governor C. Vidysagar Rao in 2016, granting sanction to the CBI for prosecuting him in the Adarsh housing society scam was “politically motivated and biased” and that the CBI had sought the sanction on the behest of BJP-led state government.

In February 2016, Rao had granted CBI the sanction to prosecute Chavan for offences under section 120-b and 420 of the IPC and under the various provisions of the prevention of corruption act. 

Chavan’s counsel Amit Desai on Monday argued that while in December 2013, the then governor had refused to grant sanction to the CBI for prosecuting him, but had later sought to review the order claiming change in circumstances and fresh material as the form of evidence. Desai further said CBI should have challenged that refusal in HC.

“After the BJP came to power in the state, the CBI, at the behest of the state government, sought review of the 2013 order. The CBI did not act on it’s own. We allege political bias,” Desai said.