Mumbai: In a shift from its earlier stand that CBI had no jurisdiction to probe the Adarsh housing society scam, the Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court that it had no objection to a special CBI court “looking into” the case if the investigation was over.
CBI counsel Hiten Venegaonkar told the division bench of justices P V Hardas and Anuja Prabhudesai that the agency had completed its probe and filed the charge sheets before the special court.
“The investigation is over and the charge sheets have been filed, now there is no need for further supervision (by the high court),” he said.
The court is hearing several PILs in connection with the scam.
At this point, state government's lawyer Anil Sakhare stated that the government had no objection to the trial court “looking into the matter” if the investigation was over.
Two years ago, the state had challenged the probe by the CBI saying that neither the state nor the high court had handed the case over to the central agency, hence it could not take it over.
The 13 accused named in the first charge sheet filed by CBI, which included former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, were charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct under the Indian Penal Code, besides offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI later told the high court that Chavan's name should be dropped, because Maharashtra Governor had not given sanction for his prosecution.
