Adarsh: Panel calls 2 ex-CMs, reserves order on Chavan's plea

Deshmukh has been summoned on June 21 and 22 while Shinde has been asked to appear on June 25 and 26. The summons were issued by the commission headed by J A Patil, retired judge of the Bombay High Court.

Meanwhile, the commission reserved till tomorrow its order on an application filed by another former chief minister Ashok Chavan seeking exemption from appearance to give evidence.

Chavan was to appear before the commission today. He, however, filed an application yesterday seeking exemption.

The commission's counsel Dipan Merchant argued that there should not be any discrimination between witnesses, no matter who they were and howsoever highly placed they might be. The witnesses have to come before the Commission and give information, he said.

Both Deshmukh and Shinde had claimed in affidavits before the Commission last June that the Adarsh land in Mumbai belonged to the Maharashtra government and was never reserved for defence personnel at Kargil war heroes.

"The records maintained with the collector of Mumbai clearly show that the land belonged to the state government. The ownership of the land was never an issue at any stage so far I am concerned," Deshmukh had said.

He had also denied allegations that he had continuously held meetings with Kanaihyalal Gidwani, one of the promoters of the scam-tainted cooperative society.

"I deny that it was on the insistence of Gidwani that Revenue department was asked to put up the case of allotment of land to Adarsh. The suggestion that I ordered the allotment of land to Adarsh in an irregular and/or improper manner to favour Gidwani is fully mischievous," his affidavit said.

Earlier, former principal secretary Ramanand Tiwari, in his affidavit, had said approvals for the Adarsh building had been given by Deshmukh. (MORE)