Adarsh scam: CBI files revision plea in Bombay HC to drop Ashok Chavan’s name from charge sheet
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now moved the Bombay high court for the same relief, Two months after the sessions court threw out its plea to drop charges against former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh housing society scam. There was not much evidence against Chavan though initially while seeking sanction it said it had ample evidence, said the CBI.
The CBI will be mentioning its petition on Thursday for a hearing. The agency on Monday filed a revision petition against the January 18 refusal to end Chavan’s criminal prosecution.
The governor had gone through the detailed chargesheet prepared by the CBI and using his discretionary powers declined sanction. Maharashtra governor K Sankaranarayanan had last December refused to grant prior sanction for Chavan’s prosecution. Chavan was the chief minister and hence law required the state to give a prior sanction to prosecute him in a criminal case. Soon after the governor’s refusal, this January the CBI sought to drop charges against Chavan. But the session’s court rejected its plea.
The CBI said its hands were tied due to the lack of prior sanction to prosecute. The CBI filed an application on January 15 before the court for permission to remove Chavan’s name from the list of 13 accused charge sheeted in the case and who are to be tried.
The 55-year-old Chavan had stepped down as CM after his name was linked to the Adarsh controversy towards the end of 2010.
Source: Times of India
Adarsh Housing Society scam, Ashok Chavan, Bombay High Court, CBI, CM, criminal prosecution, Governor, K Sankaranarayanan, Maharashtra, Mumbai, The Central Bureau of Investigation
