Adarsh Land Scam: land belongs to govt. not Kargil war heroes

Giving a major relief to Congress-NCP-led state government of Maharashtra in Adarsh Society scam case, a two-member judicial commission in its report stated that the land on which the controversial highrise stands belongs to the state government and was not intended to rehabilitate Kargil war heroes or their relatives.

The interim report tabled today in the legislation is likely to provide relief to three former Chief Ministers - Ashok Chavan, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde - of state, who were accused in this case.

To probe a high-profile property scam in which top-level politicians and army?s top officials including former generals and Lt. Generals were accused, a two member judicial panel was comprised nearly one-and-half years ago.

The panel comprising Justice (retd) J.A. Patil and former state chief secretary P. Subrahmanyam Tuesday morning tabled its report in legislation.

"Earlier, this morning, it was discussed at the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and approved before it was tabled in the legislature," an anonymous official informed to media.

The interim report's finding effectively spurns the claim of the defence authorities that the plot of land in the posh Colaba area of south Mumbai belonged to the defence department, and virtually upheld the state government's contention that it was reclaimed from the Arabian Sea in the 1970s.

The commission, which is inquiring into 13 crucial points, submitted its findings on two critical aspects concerning the ownership of the land - where the 31-storeyed building stands - and its reservation for Kargil war heroes or their families.

The report will submit its final findings on the remaining 11 points later, the official informed.

--With IANS Inputs--