Ex-defence officials, bureaucrats named in CBI FIR in Adarsh case (Second Lead)

MUMBAI - Ten weeks after it launched preliminary investigations into the Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation Saturday registered a formal complaint into the case, an official said here.

Though details of the FIR are not immediately available, it is learnt that the report has named certain promoters of the society besides retired defence officials, bureaucrats and members of the society.

The development comes in the wake of the Bombay High Court seeking to know what action the CBI had taken in the matter without registering an FIR (first information report) into the case.

At a hearing Jan 18, the high court had directed the investigating agency to file the FIR within two weeks.

Nearly a month after the Adarsh scam broke out resulting in the removal of former chief minister Ashok Chavan, the CBI started a preliminary probe into the case Nov 15.

Among other things, the society was accused of usurping a prime plot of defence land meant to house heroes of Kargil war, violating floor space index rules, throwing to the winds Coastal Regulation Zone norms and flouting other regulations.

Following Chavan’s exit, a former state human rights commission member Subhash Lalla also quit for the involvement in the scam.

The State Information Commissioner Ramanand Tiwari was suspended Jan 20 by the state government, which has initiated proceedings seeking his removal from the constitutional post.

Besides, the state government is also looking into the role of various other bureaucrats whose names have cropped up in the scam.

Similarly, the defence authorities have also initiated a parallel probe into the role of its officers who were directly or indirectly involved in the scam.