Bombay High Court concerned over missing Adarsh papers
By IANSWednesday, December 1, 2010
MUMBAI - The Bombay High Court Wednesday expressed concern over the papers that have gone missing from the files of the controversial Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society and asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure there was no further destruction of evidence.
Mumbai police Saturday filed a case after the (CBI) found four papers missing from the file submitted to it by the state government.
Dated between August 2009 and November 2010, the papers pertained to the decisions, notings and correspondence with different agencies during the crucial period before which the project was cleared.
A division bench comprising Justice A.M. Khanvilkar and Justice A.P. Bhangale passed an oral order asking the CBI to prevent any more destruction of evidence after a petition by Simpreet Singh.
The judges also directed the CBI to liaise with the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and inform the court by Dec 20 on its future strategy and the kind of assistance they would require from the state agency.
The petitioner’s lawyer Asish Mehta also asked the court to direct the CBI to take over the entire Adarsh scam and expressed doubts over ACB conducting an impartial inquiry.
The Adarsh society shot into the limelight over a month ago and claimed the job of then chief minister Ashok Chavan after three of his relatives were found to have flats in the 31-storey building, originally meant for Kargil war widows and heroes.
The other members of the society situated in the plush Colaba in south Mumbai included politicians, retired army officers, senior bureaucrats or their relatives. They allegedly connived to grab the flats in the building which has come up in one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the country.
