SC directs Centre to take over Adarsh Society within week, no demolition

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to take over the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society within a week and ensure that no demolition took place while securing the 31-storey Colaba building located next to defence installations.

Directing the society that they will not be permitted anymore to deal in the matter, the apex court gave the reigns to the government.

This comes as a major blow to the society which was hoping for an intervention by the Supreme Court, after it lost its battle against an order of demolition issued by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) for environmental zone violations

Earlier, the Army has instituted a Court of Inquiry to probe alleged lapses by former General Officers Commanding of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area (MG&G Area) in not filing a writ petition in the Bombay High Court "at the earliest available opportunity" in the matter of the housing scandal.

The High Court had directed the Ministry of Defence to order an inquiry into alleged lapses on part of its own officers.

In its order, the High Court said: "Ministry of Defence is. directed to hold an in-depth inquiry for finding out lapses or reasons on the part of its officers for not instituting writ petition at the earliest available opportunity as also finding out whether these GOCs compromised security of Colaba Military Station (CMS) in lieu of allotment of flats in the building of the society."

The Adarsh scandal first came to notice in 2003 when it was reported that a highrise building was coming up in Colaba, close to military installations, overriding objections.

The society which was promoting the venture had a large number of senior military officers, politicians and bureaucrats as its members, even though it was meant to be for war heroes.