Mumbai:A preliminary probe by the CBI into the Adarsh housing scam reveals serious irregularities ranging from criminal conspiracy, land grabbing, forgery and manipulation of records, according to a source close to the investigation. The CBI is likely to name at least 20 senior bureaucrats, defence officers and defence estates officials in its preliminary report.
The probe into the way the Colaba plot was handed over to the society, is almost complete and the report is likely to be given to CBI headquarters in Delhi next week. Sources said a decision on filing an FIR under the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act would be taken by CBI bosses and senior officials as highranking babus were involved. The 20-plus officials could be included in the FIR along with a politician. CBI superintendent of police Abhin Modak said the probe was not complete and findings were based on about 5,000 documents from various offices, such as collector and urban development and interviews with officials.
CBI received a complaint on Adarsh from the Union ministry of defence two months ago and it has until February 15 to file the PE report. Union defence minister A K Antony had announced a CBI probe into the scam. Senior military officers, including former army chiefs Gen Deepak Kapoor and Gen N C Vij and ex-navy chief Adm Madhvendra Singh, were allotted flats. The three ex-chiefs have since offered to surrender their flats if wrongdoing was proved.
SS Jog, then a colonel, is learnt to have told the CBI that his April 5, 2000 letter on the plot was written on behalf of then general officer commanding of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Maj Gen A R Kumar. Kumar’s son is an Adarsh allottee. “Necessary action at your end may be taken as deemed fit for the welfare of service personnel/ex-servicemen/their widows,’’ Jog had written to the collector.
On April 6, 2000, Jog made a note for the record that said the draft reply was prepared after being vetted by Dy GO/GOC and that it was ascertained that Adarsh development was for the kith and kin of servicemen and ex-servicemen. Jog’s handwritten note added, “It is reiterated that no, repeat no, NOC was given to the collector’s office.’’ For any activity within 1,000 metres of a defence installation, the military’s NOC is needed under law.
Others being investigated include GOCs Maj Gen T K Kaul, Lt Gen Tejinder Singh and Maj Gen R K Hooda. Investigators are probing if they ignored security concerns, because the building overlooked a defence installation, or if the Army was in possession of a portion of the allotted land. Kukri Park had been inaugurated by Gen B A Cariappa in 1996. Kaul, Singh and Hooda are members of Adarsh and Hooda’s role is being independently probed by the Army.
Bureaucrats under the scanner include P V Deshmukh, UD deputy secretary in 2002-03. Other serving or retired IAS officers being investigated include Ramanand Tiwari, current information commissioner and former UD principal secretary; Pradeep Vyas, former city collector of Mumbai who responded to Parliament when questioned about the Adarsh land allotment; Uttam Khobragade, a former BEST general manager; Subhash Lalla, former principal secretary to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh; and Jairaj Phatak, ex-commissioner of the BMC. All have relatives with flats in Adarsh. Also being investigated are R C Thakur, a former junior defence estates officer; Brig M M Wanchu; former MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani; and former collector IKundan. All four have Adarsh flats.
The probe into the way the Colaba plot was handed over to the society, is almost complete and the report is likely to be given to CBI headquarters in Delhi next week. Sources said a decision on filing an FIR under the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act would be taken by CBI bosses and senior officials as highranking babus were involved. The 20-plus officials could be included in the FIR along with a politician. CBI superintendent of police Abhin Modak said the probe was not complete and findings were based on about 5,000 documents from various offices, such as collector and urban development and interviews with officials.
CBI received a complaint on Adarsh from the Union ministry of defence two months ago and it has until February 15 to file the PE report. Union defence minister A K Antony had announced a CBI probe into the scam. Senior military officers, including former army chiefs Gen Deepak Kapoor and Gen N C Vij and ex-navy chief Adm Madhvendra Singh, were allotted flats. The three ex-chiefs have since offered to surrender their flats if wrongdoing was proved.
SS Jog, then a colonel, is learnt to have told the CBI that his April 5, 2000 letter on the plot was written on behalf of then general officer commanding of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Maj Gen A R Kumar. Kumar’s son is an Adarsh allottee. “Necessary action at your end may be taken as deemed fit for the welfare of service personnel/ex-servicemen/their widows,’’ Jog had written to the collector.
On April 6, 2000, Jog made a note for the record that said the draft reply was prepared after being vetted by Dy GO/GOC and that it was ascertained that Adarsh development was for the kith and kin of servicemen and ex-servicemen. Jog’s handwritten note added, “It is reiterated that no, repeat no, NOC was given to the collector’s office.’’ For any activity within 1,000 metres of a defence installation, the military’s NOC is needed under law.
Others being investigated include GOCs Maj Gen T K Kaul, Lt Gen Tejinder Singh and Maj Gen R K Hooda. Investigators are probing if they ignored security concerns, because the building overlooked a defence installation, or if the Army was in possession of a portion of the allotted land. Kukri Park had been inaugurated by Gen B A Cariappa in 1996. Kaul, Singh and Hooda are members of Adarsh and Hooda’s role is being independently probed by the Army.
Bureaucrats under the scanner include P V Deshmukh, UD deputy secretary in 2002-03. Other serving or retired IAS officers being investigated include Ramanand Tiwari, current information commissioner and former UD principal secretary; Pradeep Vyas, former city collector of Mumbai who responded to Parliament when questioned about the Adarsh land allotment; Uttam Khobragade, a former BEST general manager; Subhash Lalla, former principal secretary to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh; and Jairaj Phatak, ex-commissioner of the BMC. All have relatives with flats in Adarsh. Also being investigated are R C Thakur, a former junior defence estates officer; Brig M M Wanchu; former MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani; and former collector IKundan. All four have Adarsh flats.
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