Ashok Chavan to depose before Adarsh panel on June 30

In a U-turn, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday told the two-member inquiry commission probing the Adarsh housing society scam that he is ready to appear before it on June 30.

Chavan, an accused in the Adarsh case, had on May 22 sought exemption from appearance before the judicial panel. He had said that his evidence would have been relevant only on issues of ownership of the land on which the 31-storey building stands and whether it was reserved for Kargil widows and war heroes.

The two issues have already been decided by the panel.

"As the commission has already submitted its report to the government on these issues I (Chavan) may be exempted," the former chief minister had said in his application.

Chavan filed a fresh application on Thursday clarifying that he did not intend to suggest that he would not be available to the commission.

"The applicant's (Chavan) only request is that he be called for deposition on or after June 30. The applicant has been named by CBI in their FIR and in view of his requirement in Delhi in a pending proceeding, his deposition before the commission may be deferred," the application says.

The commission headed by Justice (retired) J A Patil accepted Chavan's application and directed him to appear before it on June 30, while disposing of his previous petition seeking exemption.

Chavan, who was earlier directed to appear on May 23, will now give his deposition after the commission completes recording the evidence of Union ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde.

The commission had on Wednesday summoned Deshmukh and Shinde, both former Maharashtra chief ministers, on June 21-22 and June 25-26 respectively.

The panel, in its interim report, had said the land belonged to the state government, contrary to the claim of the defence ministry that it was defence land.

Chavan is alleged to have recommended the allotment of 40 per cent flats in the Adarsh Housing Society, said to be originally meant for Kargil widows and war heroes, to civilians.

His relatives were alleged to have gotten flats in the building as quid-pro-quo for extending favours to the society.

Chavan was the revenue minister from 1999 to 2003 when the land was allotted to the housing society and Deshmukh was the chief minister.