Adarsh land belonged to defence, finds CBI probe

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation, probing the Adarsh scam, has concluded that the land on which the controversial complex stands belonged to the defence department. It has thus demolished the stand of successive Maharashtra chief ministers — Sushilkumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan — that the land belonged to the state.

All these Congress leaders were involved at one stage or the other in clearing files that culminated in the allotment of the Colaba plot to Adarsh Society. The state government and all the ministers involved in granting clearances have insisted Adarsh stood on revenue land owned by the state government and that no norms were violated in allotment.

Since October 25, when it broke the biggest building scam story this side of the Arabian Sea, TOI has been consistently tracking the attempt by various authorities to cover up.

A senior CBI official told TOI the agency’s investigations were almost complete as far the ownership of the land was concerned. ‘‘ In two days we will complete this aspect of the probe. The documents we have gathered suggest that the plot was a part of defence land. The next stage of fixing responsibility for wrongdoing will be part of the subsequent action,’’ the official added.

TOWERING DECEIT

MoD gathering Adarsh ownership proof

The Central Bureau of Investigation claims to have collected sufficient documentary evidence from various agencies, including the armed forces, to back its claim.

‘‘ We have collected photo evidence to prove that military authorities who were in possession of the land had inaugurated a garden named Kukri Park in 1996. There are other records too which show that the land was in possession of the armed forces.’’

This observation could mean further trouble for Adarsh promoters. Government sources told Times of India that the entire allotment process could be termed illegal on the basis of the observations, and serious charges could be pressed against those involved in ‘misappropriating defence land’ .

The ministry of defence is also gathering evidence to prove its ownership claim. It is believed to have got hold of a 1976 Survey of India Map, which shows the disputed plot as being within the defence boundary.

The Colaba-based defence estate office is also believed to have submitted a 1964 communication from the state public works department to the local military authorities mentioning encroachments that had surfaced on the plot, and asking them to disclose the ownership title.

‘‘ While this letter does not prove that we owned the plot, it certainly shows that we were in possession,’’ a source in the defence estates office said.

The minstry of defence has also collected photographic evidence and log records to further strengthen its claim on the plot.

The Maharashtra government, meanwhile, has maintained its stand that the land could not belong to the armed forces, as it had been reserved for the purpose of a road link in 1985.

While the minstry of defence has said that the ownership of the land was transferred to them in lieu of another defenceowned plot at Golibar rifle range in Santa Cruz in 1958, the state denies existence of any record to suggest that the exchange took place.