Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday gave a clean chit to Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in Adarsh Housing Society scam before the Bombay High Court. The agency informed the Bombay High Court that there is no evidence to suggest that Shinde during his tenure as Maharashtra Chief Minister abused his position as a public servant. The Bombay High Court had on September 02 said the Centre, Maharashtra government, CBI, and Adarsh Society may file their responses to a plea seeking that Shinde be added as an accused in the housing society scam case.
“CBI does not feel it legally necessary to name Sushilkumar Shinde as an accused person in the ongoing investigation being carried out by it,” the affidavit states.
According to the application filed by social activist Pravin Wategaonkar, Shinde, who had handled documents of the controversial Adarsh Housing Society during his tenure as Maharashtra chief minister, owns a benami flat in the plush 31-storey highrise in south Mumbai. .The affidavit had also said that Shinde had suggested inclusion of Major N Khankhoje as a member of Adarsh society, even after the latter had been declared ineligible as his son, and not he himself, was going to pay for a flat.Former MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani had deposed before the Adarsh commission that Shinde had asked for inclusion of Khankhoje as member.
“Khankhoje’s membership may have been pursued by KL Gidwani but it cannot be confirmed as Gidwani has passed away. The CBI charge sheet states that civilian members in the society were included at the instance of Gidwani,” the affidavit reads. “Investigation conducted by CBI does not reveal any family relationship between Khankhoje and Shinde. There is nothing on record to substantiate deposition made by Gidwani to the commission that Khankhoje was included by Sushilkumar Shinde,” the affidavit filed by K Babu, senior CBI official, states.”There is no evidence coming to light during investigation to suggest that Shinde abused his position as public servant for the benefit of someone from Khankhoje family in connivance with the office bearers of Adarsh,” the affidavit states. The housing society has been embroiled in the scam for alleged irregularities.
The application was filed by Wategaonkar as part of his public interest litigation seeking a probe by Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax departments into alleged money laundering.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply