A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court Thursday sent three accused in the Adarsh housing scam to the agency’s custody till March 31 and one accused till March 26.
Special CBI judge M.V. Kulkarni sent Maj. Gen. (retd) A.R. Kumar, Maj. Gen. (retd.) T.K. Kaul and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Vyas, presently posted as secretary (expenditure) in the state finance department, to CBI custody till March 31. All three were arrested Wednesday.
Former Congress legislative councillor Kanahiyalal Gidwani, who was also arrested Wednesday, was remanded to CBI custody till March 26.
The CBI has made seven arrests in the case in the last two days. The Maharashtra government Thursday also informed the Bombay High Court that it has suspended two serving IAS officers for their alleged involvement in the scam.
The officers – Vyas and Jairaj Pathak – have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI Jan 29.
While Vyas was the collector of Mumbai, Pathak was City Municipal Commissioner when the scam took place.
Three officials — retired defence estates officer R.C. Thakur, Brig (retd.) M.M. Wanchoo and former deputy secretary, urban development P.V. Deshmukh — were arrested Tuesday by the CBI in connection with the scam. All three have been remanded to CBI custody till March 31.
The scam involves a prime plot in south Mumbai’s Colaba on which a 31-storey building was constructed by the society.
CBI’s action came after Bombay High Court division bench of Justices P.B. Majmudar and R.D. Dhanuka had questioned the agency for delaying the arrests in the case.
The court had, March 12, rapped CBI for not initiating action against government officials involved in the scam.
The division bench had, on Feb 28, also castigated the Enforcement Directorate for “serious lapse” in failing to initiate investigations against some Adarsh society members allegedly involved in money-laundering.
