Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and 14 others, named in the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) Adarsh Land Scam first information report or FIR, have been charged with money laundering. Those named will now be probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The Enforcement Case Information report (ECIR) said that Ashok Chavan, as Maharashtra’s revenue minister, became a part of an alleged criminal conspiracy with Adarsh Society secretary R C Thakur, retired Brig Madan Mohan Wanchu and former Congress legislator Kanhaiyyalal Gidwani to include civilians as members of the Adarsh Society.
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The Enforcement Directorate, part of the union finance ministry, informed the Bombay High Court on Monday that the report could be accepted as registration of offence under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED further informed the court that attachment of property will follow after receiving CBI investigation report. The CBI has told the court it will complete investigation by 15th June.
The CBI, which registered a case in January last year against 14 people, has so far arrested nine persons including Indian Administratve Services (IAS) officers Jairaj Phatak and Ramanand Tiwari, retired Major Generals AR Kumar and TK Kaul and PV Deshmukh, a former Deputy Secretary in the Urban department.
The remaining five accused are former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, former principal secretary to the Chief Minister Subhash Lala, retired Colonel TK Sinha, retired brigadier PK Rampal and retired deputy GOC RC Sharma.
The ED began its probe into allegations of money laundering and benami transactions after facing severe criticism from the Bombay High Court for failing to initiate inquiry into the scam despite receiving information from CBI.
The High Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), had come down heavily on ED for not initiating inquiry into allegations of benami transactions.
Following this, the agency issued summons to the members of the Society directing them to furnish information regarding purchase of flats in the 31-storey plush Society in South Mumbai and mode of payment, ED sources said.
When the Adarsh scam broke, politicians, bureaucrats and Armymen were accused of grabbing Defence land.
(With inputs from PTI)
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