The Adarsh Housing Society scam, which cost Ashok Chavan his post of Maharashtra Chief Minister, continues to haunt his predecessors. Earlier, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was also questioned by the CBI on the approval to the multi-storeyed complex in Mumbai.
Both Shinde and Deshmukh,during their tenure as Maharashtra Chief Ministers, had allegedly cleared the files and passed proposals related to the 31-storeyed building, permission for which was granted after allegedly flouting rules and regulations.
According to CBI sources, the statement of Deshmukh will be recorded soon.
Deshmukh, during his tenure as the chief minister, is alleged to have allotted the area to Adarsh Housing Society and converted the space, reserved for BEST, into a residential complex.
Shinde was questioned by CBI officials at his Delhi residence on July 31.
Shinde is alleged to have accepted a proposal recommending 40 per cent allotment of flats to civilians in the Mumbai housing society, meant for the Kargil martyrs,when he was the chief minister of Maharashtra.
The CBI move to question Shinde and Deshmukh came in the wake of the Bombay High Court directive not to get bogged down by big personalities and to treat everybody equally under law, irrespective of who they are.
The high court made the observation while hearing a PIL on equal treatment of all suspects and persons involved in the scam.
The CBI has questioned over 100 witnesses and accused in the scam that triggered a political storm in the country.
Those questioned by the investigating agency included former BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak, Congress leader K L Gidwani, suspended state Information Commissioner Ramanand Tiwari, former deputy secretary of state Urban Development department P V Deshmukh and Adarsh Society’s secretary R C Thakur.