Thaindian News

Mumbai, May 24 (IANS) Two days after seeking exemption from appearing before the judicial panel probing the Adarsh housing scam, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan Thursday sought to appear before the panel on June 30.

“Mr Chavan has, in continuation to his application seeking exemption, written to the panel he did not intend to suggest that he would not be available to the commission,” Chavan’s counsel Amit Desai told IANS.

“He has sought to appear before the panel on June 30 and the panel has accepted the date,” he said.

Chavan had Tuesday sought exemption from appearing before the panel the next day, stating that an affidavit filed by him last year gave details about whatever knowledge he had about the Adarsh Society and that he has nothing to add.

As the scam broke out, Chavan was asked to step down on Nov 9, 2010, and replaced by Prithviraj Chavan.

The two-member judicial commission comprising former judge, Justice J. A. Patil and former state chief secretary P. Subrahmanyam, who are probing the scam, had then reserved their comments in the case.

The panel had Wednesday summoned two other former chief ministers of the state to appear before them. While Vilasrao Deshmukh has been asked to appear before the panel on June 21, Sushilkumar Shinde has been summoned on June 25, 26.

In a report submitted to the Bombay High Court by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the agency has mentioned that three former chief ministers — Shinde, Deshmukh and Chavan –are alleged to own ‘benami’ (proxy) flats in the Adarsh housing society.

The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case against 14 accused in Adarsh housing scam including Chavan.

The Adarsh scam involves a prime plot in south Mumbai’s Colaba on which a 31-storey building was constructed by the society.