Indian Army to Probe Role of Its Officials in Adarsh Society Scam

The scandal first emerged in 2003, and the then CM Ashok Chavan had to resign over it.

Adarsh Housing society. (Photo Courtesy: Adarsh Society)

The Indian Army will probe the role of its officials in the Adarsh housing society scam, reports The Indian Express.

A Court of Inquiry has reportedly been launched to probe the allegations of delay in filing a writ petition in the Bombay High Court by the General Officers Commanding (GOCs) of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area (MG&G Area) “at the earliest available opportunity”.

The Court of Inquiry will be presided over by a Major General and will consist of two Brigadiers, a source from the Southern Command in Pune said, according to the report.

The Bombay High Court had directed the Indian Army to set up an inquiry into the said lapses.

In its submission, the Army had claimed that the Adarsh Society allotted flats to one member of the families of the GOCs of MG&G area who served between 1999 until 2010.

According to The Indian Express, the HC direction reads as follows:

Ministry of Defence is… directed to hold an in-depth inquiry for finding out lapses or reasons on the part of its officers for not instituting writ petition at the earliest available opportunity as also finding out whether these GOCs compromised security of Colaba Military Station (CMS) in lieu of allotment of flats in the building of the society.

The following officials, all of the rank of Major General, are under the scanner:

• AR Kumar
  
• VS Yadav
  
• TK Kaul
  
• Tejinder Singh
  
• RK Hooda

It will be ascertained whether they had any hand in compromising the security of the Colaba Military Station, when allotting flats in the building.

The Adarsh Society scam first emerged in 2003 when reports surfaced about a high rise building being constructed near Colaba, close to military installations.

The venture involved a large number of senior military officials, politicians and bureaucrats, even though the society was meant for war heroes and families of those killed in the Kargil war.

The then Chief Minister Ashok Chavan was also compelled to resign when it emerged that he sanctioned the project as Revenue Minister, and his relatives were given flats in the building.

(With inputs from The Indian Express.)