Punish those found guilty in Adarsh scam: Maharashtra CM

In an apparent reference to Mumbai's Adarsh housing society scam, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday said the case should be disposed of speedily and the guilty should be brought to justice.

Without naming the high-profile scam, he said, "In the United States, a case of insider trading was disposed of within a month. At present, a case in Maharashtra has become a topic of daily discussion. A judicial commission has been set up. Those who are found guilty should be punished and the case should be closed."

The chief minister was speaking at a symposium on Media and Politics organised by the Lokmat Group.

Chavan's comments come in the midst of ongoing depositions of his predecessors --- Ashok Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde and Vilasrao Deshmukh -- before the two-member judicial panel appointed by the state government to probe the scam.

The scam, which came to light in November 2010 and led to the resignation of then Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, relates to irregularities in the construction of a 31-storeyed building in South Mumbai.

All three former chief ministers had dealt with files related to the Adarsh housing society. Ashok Chavan appeared before the panel for a second time on Monday

The chief minister, who attended the launch of a Hindi daily of the Lokmat Group, also said financial markets were reacting favourably after the prime minister took charge of the finance portfolio.