Indian Army awaiting CBI inputs on Adarsh probe
By IANSWednesday, December 15, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Indian Army said Wednesday it was waiting for inputs from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete its probe into Mumbai’s Adarsh housing society scam in which some retired and serving officers are under the scanner for allegedly cornering flats meant for families of war heroes.
“The inquiry (into the Adarsh housing scam) is under way. The CBI will go in detail to probe the matter. An internal inquiry (by the army) is also on. The CBI will give its details and we will take action against those found guilty, army chief General V.K. Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function for giving aid to war widows and disabled soldiers.
Singh was replying to questions on the 31-storey building that has come up within the security perimeter of an Indian Navy establishment in the upscale Colaba area of south Mumbai. The scam was unearthed after the navy raised an alarm about the skyscraper that was posing a grave security risk to vital installations.
A probe by the defence ministry has revealed that some army and defence estates officers had colluded with the private housing society to construct the building, ostensibly meant for war widows and war veterans, and got themselves plush flats at throwaway prices.
Two simultaneous probes being conducted into the scam. The accused serving defence officers will face an army instituted court of inquiry under the Amy Act while the retired officers are under the CBI scanner because they are not governed by the act.
Major General R.K. Hooda, who was the general officer commanding (Maharashtra and Goa area) during former army chief General Deepak Kapoors tenure before being posted to Delhi five months ago, is also being probed.
His name figures in the list of the over 100 allottees in the skyscraper.
The scam surfaced after the Indian Navy raised an alarm that the highrise, built on 6,450 sq meters within the Colaba naval area, was posing a security threat to military installations.
The navy, it is said, is exploring the option of demolishing the building .
Asked about this, the army chief said: I don’t know about it.”
