HC asks Adarsh society to submit list of members in defence

The Bombay High Court today directed the scam-tainted Adarsh society to submit a list of its members who are or were in defence services.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice A K Menon was hearing a bunch of petitions related to the Adarsh housing society scam.
The court sought a list of members of the society who are or were in the Army or Navy. The court also directed the Maharashtra government to submit before it a copy of the two-member enquiry commission report.
The list of members and the commission report will have to be submitted to the high court by July 20.

The plush 31-storey Adarsh building in Colaba is embroiled in controversy for allegedly flouting several rules and regulations and for not securing requisite permissions from the Union ministries of Environment and Defence before constructing the building.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest had a few years ago passed an order to demolish the building due to blatant violation of rules.

The Adarsh society has challenged the demolition order in the high court.
The Defence Ministry had in December 2012 filed a title suit in high court stating that the land in Colaba where the Adarsh building is constructed belongs to them (Defence Ministry) and possession should be handed back to them.

The Defence Ministry alleged that the Adarsh building has been constructed "illegally and unlawfully." It further stated that Defence Ministry is the sole owner of the land and that the land was transferred to Adarsh society by fraud, collusion and connivance on the part of the society members, ministers and bureaucrats of the state government.
The society had, however, filed an application opposing the title suit on the ground that only the defence estate officer can file title suits on behalf of the Defence Ministry.