Special CBI Court adjourns hearing in Adarsh scam till April 20

 A Special CBI Court on Monday adjourned the hearing in Adarsh scam involving former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress MP Ashok Chavan till April 20.

Chavan, who had to resign as the Chief Minister after the scam surfaced in 2010, was among the 12 persons chargesheeted by the probe agency in connection with the case. The CBI has made the request to Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao, seeking permission to prosecute Chavan in the scam.

Rao had given his consent earlier this month to prosecute Chavan for offences under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 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 2013, the then Governor K. Sankaranarayanan had denied permission to the CBI to prosecute Chavan.