CBI gets Maha governor's nod to prosecute Ashok Chavan in Adarsh scam

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday gave sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute former chief minister and Congress party leader Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam case, days after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state recommended action against the Congress leader.

"Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao today gave his sanction to CBI to prosecute former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan, under section 197 of CrPC, for offences under sections 120-B (conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC in the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society case," an official in the governor's office said.

On October 8, 2015, Joint Director CBI, Mumbai, had sought sanction for prosecution of Chavan under section 197 CrPC on the basis of additional or fresh material, like the report of Justice Patil Commission of Inquiry and the observations of the Bombay high court in the criminal revision application, he said.

"The governor had recently sought the aid and advice of the council of ministers and was advised by the council of ministers to grant the sanction (to CBI)," he added.

Chavan, a Lok Sabha member from Nanded and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president, had to step down as chief minister after the scam surfaced in 2010. He was among the 12 persons charge sheeted by the probe agency in connection with the case.

The CBI had alleged that Chavan suggested inclusion of civilian members in Adarsh Housing Society, meant for war veterans and widows of defence personnel, to secure flats for his relatives in the plush complex situated at Colaba in south Mumbai.

In December 2013, the then Governor K Sankaranarayanan had refused sanction to CBI to prosecute Chavan in the Adarsh housing scam, leaving the agency with no choice but to close the case against him.

The Maharashtra cabinet had recently recommended to the governor that he should grant sanction to the CBI to prosecute Chavan in the case.

Chavan had then dubbed the move as "vendetta" by the BJP-led government.