CBI searches premises of 4 more accused in Adarsh scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today conducted searches in Maharashtra and Bihar at the premises of four accused in the Adarsh housing scam, including a retired Army officer, a Congress leader and a former state government official, and will soon issue notices for summoning them for questioning.

The searches were conducted at the residences of the society's general secretary R C Thakur, retired Brigadier M M Wanchoo and Congress leader K L Gidwani and former principal secretary of Urban Development department Ramanand Tiwari in the two states.

The office of the Adarsh society located in posh Colaba here was also searched.

The searches were carried out a day after the CBI filed an FIR against 13 people, including former Maharastra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and some retired senior Army officials for their alleged involvement in the Adarsh scam.

"Thakur, Wanchoo and Gidwani were not present at the premises when the searches were conducted. We are likely to issue notices to the trio summoning them for questioning," a senior CBI official said.

While searches at Thakur's residences in Bihar, Nagpur and Thane are over, the operations at Tiwari's house in Mumbai continued till late in the evening.

Wanchoo's house in Pune and Gidwani's house at Worli in central Mumbai were also searched, the official added.

According to CBI sources, Thakur, Wanchoo and Gidwani were allegedly the prime movers in building the society, the sources said.

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.

The CBI sources said that computers, laptops and some documents were seized from the premises which would be analysed by the sleuths.

The electronic items would be sent to Hyderabad and Delhi for examination of the hard disk. Tiwari, who was recently suspended by Maharashtra government as Information Commissioner, has been accused of misusing his official power and passing letters in favour of the society. His son Onkar Tiwari has a flat in the building.

Apart from Chavan and the four accused, the FIR also names retired Lt General P K Rampal, Major Generals A R Kumar and T K Kaul, Subash Lala, the then Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Brig (retd) R C Sharma.

The FIR has been filed under various sections of IPC including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery and showing forged  document as genuine besides sections pertaining to Prevention of Corruption Act.