Adarsh scam: Forged rent receipt got Chavan's kin a flat

Madanlal Sharma, uncle of Chavan's wife Amita, told the Inquiry Commission headed by retired High Court judge J A Patil probing the Adarsh scam that a rent receipt dated June 30, 2009 was furnished to the society which showed him as a tenant and his niece as owner of the Andheri flat which belonged to him.

According to by-laws of the society, membership could be granted only to those who did not own flats in Mumbai.

"I am the owner of a flat in suburban Andheri since 1985. My application form seeking membership in Adarsh says I do not own any flats in the city. This is incorrect. I don't know who filled my form. I only signed it," Sharma told the two-member commission.

Sharma, brother of Chavan's father-in-law, had sought membership on August 13, 2009 and it was granted on August 30 the same year.

"A rent receipt dated June 30, 2009 was issued to the Adarsh society showing that my niece Amita Chavan is the owner of the flat in Andheri and she has rented it to me. This receipt is incorrect. Amita is the wife of Ashok Chavan," Sharma said.

He told the commission that Ashok Chavan was the chief minister when he had applied for membership and when his application was approved. More