“CBI said after the last Governor rejected permission to prosecute Ashok Chavan, a new set of facts was discovered which clearly proved quid pro quo, that is, he gave permissions (for construction of “Adarsh” building) and his close relatives got flats (in the housing society)”.
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The CBI has now cited these findings as fresh evidence against Chavan.
He was one of the 12 people charge sheeted from the probe company regarding the situation.
Chavan, a Lok Sabha member from Nanded and MPCC president, had to step down as Chief Minister after the scam surfaced in 2010. The Governor had sought the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers and was advised by the Council of Ministers to grant the sanction.
With Ashok Chavan alleging that the ruling party at the Centre was pressurizing the CBI to implicate him in the Adarsh Housing Society scam, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said the former Maharashtra chief minister can have these matters tested in court if he thinks that the sanction given is wrong.
In January, The Indian Express had reported that the CBI’s move to seek the Governor’s approval to prosecute former CM Ashok Chavan appears to have been triggered by a communication it received from the BJP-led state government, according to official documents accessed by The Indian Express. BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli also took a dig at Congress leaders for being in the “thick” of scams and corruption all the time. The agency had alleged that in order to secure flats for his relatives in the housing complex in South Mumbai’s Colaba neighbourhood, the former chief minister had suggested including civilian members in the Adarsh Housing Society, which is meant for war veterans and widows of defence personnel.
Though the Governor’s sanction paves way for prosecution of Mr. Chavan, legal and CBI sources said his possible arrest in the case remained at the discretion of the CBI. Under India’s criminal procedure code, the governor is required to sanction the prosecution of a public servant, a law put in place to prevent frivolous cases. Chavan alleged that BJP was putting “political pressure” on the CBI.
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This, being an ongoing investigation, with no need to lodge a fresh FIR or a fresh preliminary inquiry, one can expect criminal proceedings to begin against Chavan very soon.
