'Top Defence Ministry officials are members of Adarsh Society'

An army officer Wednesday told a judicial panel that all officers from the Ministry of Defence who had decision-making authority in the past decade are members of the scam-tainted Adarsh Housing Society.

"All officers who had decision-making authority with respect of the subject land (Adarsh plot) in Mumbai from 1999 till July 2010 were members of the Society," said Brigadier Deepak Saxena from the Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat Army Headquarters.

Saxena was deposing before the two-member inquiry commission set up to probe allegations that government officials had flouted norms while giving permission for construction of the 31-storey building in south Mumbai.

Saxena also indicated that all the General Officers in Command (GOC), who were heading the state army headquarters, had flats in the Society.

"The GOC is the highest authority in Mumbai who are responsible for protecting the defence lands and its security," the Brigadier said.

Two GOCs - AR Kumar and TK Kaul - have been named as accused in the case lodged by CBI.

Saxena said the Ministry of Defence has not taken any action against these errant officers except asking for a CBI probe when the scam came to light.