NEW DELHI, Apr 24:
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, examining the CAG’s Adarsh Housing Society scam report, is planning to seek an update from the CBI on its investigations into the case.
Sources said since the PAC is examining the CAG report, it was pertinent for it to seek an update from the investigating agency.
Based on the CBI inputs, the Committee would find it easier to prepare its report.
The CBI had arrested former Principal Secretary of Maharashtra’s Urban Development Department Ramanand Tiwari and former Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak on April 3.
Phatak was the Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai in 2010 when the building’s height was allowed to be increased beyond 100 metres but without approval from the High-Rise Committee of the municipal body. Phatak’s son has been allotted a flat in the society.
Tiwari’s son has also been allotted a flat in the building. Also on Tuesday, the report of the two-member commission was tabled before the Maharashtra Assembly, where it observed that the defence had failed to provide credible proof over ownership/title of the land.
Many top army officials and politicians, including former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, are alleged to have facilitated clearances for the building and got flats in it as quid pro quo. Nine of the 14 accused have already been arrested for their alleged involvement in the scam.
In March, the CBI had made seven arrests in the case namely Maj Gen (retd) A R Kumar, Maj Gen (retd) T K Kaul, IAS officer Pradeep Vyas, former Congress MLA Kanahiyalal Gidwani, retired Defence Estates Officer R C Thakur, Brig (retd) M M Wanchoo and former Deputy Secretary, Urban Development P V Deshmukh. (PTI)
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