Adarsh Scam : After FIR, CBI raids premises of accused

The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) on Sunday raided premises in Maharashtra and Bihar of three prime accused in the Adarsh housing society scam.

The raids come a day after CBI filed the charge-sheet in the scam, naming former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan along with
several others.

The searches were carried out at the residences and other places of the Adarsh society’s general secretary R C Thakur, retired Brigadier M M Wanchoo and Congress leader K L Gidwani in various parts of Maharashtra and Bihar.

The office of the Adarsh society located in posh Colaba here was among the places raided.

Thakur was the then sub-divisional officer at the Defence Estate Office of Mumbai while Gidwani, a former Congress MLC, was the chief
promoter of the society.

CBI had named 13 people, including Chavan, in the FIR.

Other people named in the FIR include retired army men, defence officials and bureaucrats, as well as promoters of the controversial
building.

The FIR has been filed under Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code for forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy.

Earlier, on Jan 18, the Bombay High Court had asked CBI to register an FIR if they want to carry on their investigation into the scam.

The Adarsh society flats were originally meant for war widows and their dependents but former defence officers and kin of powerful
politicians and bureaucrats ended up getting membership.

Ashok Chavan was forced to quit as Chief Minister last year after it was revealed that his kin including late mother-in-law, owned flats in
the Adarsh society.