The Bombay high court has asked social activist Pravin Wategaonkar to serve copies of his application to respondents in the matter. He had pleaded the court to direct the CBI to name Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde as an accused in the Adarsh Housing Society scam.
The application had come for hearing for the first time before the division bench of Justice P.V. Hardas and P.N. Deshmukh. Mr Wategaonkar stated that he had specifically mentioned the criminal application in the PIL last week. However, Amit Desai, appearing for Ashok Chavan, said that he had not been served a copy and asked for one adding that he would need three to four weeks to study and make submissions. Mr Wategaonkar then informed court that Mr Desai was not a party in his PIL.
Advocate Ishwari Prasad Bagaria,
representing interveners Pradeep Vyas, R.C. Thakur and other accused, too said that had not been served a copy. Mr Wategaonkar was then asked to give Mr Desai and everybody else a copy and adjourned the matter for two weeks.
The application states that by rechecking or substituting ineligible members before possession of land to be given to Adarsh Society and carried out by Mr Shinde resulted in illegal benami transaction in respect of flats.
“Mr Shinde has abused his position as a public servant for the benefit of someone from Khankhoje family — known or related to him — in connivance with office bearers of Adarsh Society, contrary to public interest, and appears to be part of criminal conspiracy in the Adarsh Society case," states the application.
It also asks that the CBI be directed to make Mr Shinde an accused in the case and take action against him as per law, the application pleads. “The respondents may file their affidavits, if they find it necessary, by September 19,” the court said.