In a huge blow to former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao has given sanction to prosecute him in the Adarsh Housing Society scam.
The CBI had sought sanction for Chavan's prosecution under Section 197 of the CrPC on the basis of the report of Justice Patil Commission of Enquiry and the observations of the Bombay High Court. The Governor had sought the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers and was advised by the Council of Ministers to grant the sanction.
Soon after the order, Chavan hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government and termed the order a "political vendetta against him." He said that he will seek legal advice in the case. He has also claimed that he will not resign from the post of president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC).
According to CBI, Chavan approved additional floor space in Adarsh in exchange for flats for his relatives in Adarsh - a society meant for war veterans.
Chavan was among the 13 people chargesheeted by the CBI in the Adarsh scam in July 2012. Though other accused, including top IAS officers and office bearers of Adarsh Housing Society, a 30 storey high-rise in Colaba, were arrested, Chavan's prosecution requires permission from the Governor.
Chavan was forced to quit in November 2010 after it emerged that three of his relatives had been given apartments in the 30-storey building.
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