Adarsh scam: CBI arrests two lawyers, ex-Cong MLC on corruption charges

The CBI on Tuesday claimed to have unearthed a conspiracy of dilution of charges against the accused in the muti-crore Adarsh housing scam and arrested its own counsel and a former Congress MLC, who is already an accused in the housing case.

CBI stumbled upon the case with the arrest of an Income Tax lawyer JK Jagiasi who allegedly asked an Air India official, accused in one case, to pay a bribe of Rs50 lakh for dilution of case, official sources said.

The Air India official approached the CBI and a trap was laid after which he was arrested on February 20. During his questioning, the sleuths were surprised to know that he had been approaching other accused, including former Congress MLC KL Gadwani, an accused in the multi-crore Adarsh scam, the sources said.

After a thorough probe, the CBI alleged in its remand note in the court that Jagiasi entered into a criminal conspiracy with Special public prosecutor Mandar Goswami, representing the agency in Bombay High Court on Adarsh case, for diluting the case.

According to the remand note, Jagiasi had approached Gidwani and his son Kailash and asked them to cough up Rs1.25 crore for diluting the case against them.

The father-son duo paid Rs1.25 crore out of which he had paid Rs25 lakh to Goswami, the CBI remand note alleged.

Jagiasi was arrested in this case again last night and the CBI today arrested Gidwani and his son as well as its own counsel.

The CBI has booked all of them under prevention of corruption act.