Janjivan Bureau / Mumbai : The Bombay High Court on Friday stayed the sanction granted by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao to the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh Housing Society scam.
Hearing a petition filed by Chavan challenging the sanction given by the Maharashtra government to prosecute him, Judges Ranjit More and Sadhana Jadhav of the Bombay High Court said the CBI had failed to “present any fresh evidence” against the Congress leader.
The court ruled that the material presented by the investigating agency to the governor did not amount to credible fresh evidence against the Congress leader.
“The sanctioning authority is an independent body that can’t allow it to be influenced by anyone’s opinion,” the court said.
The CBI had obtained the Governor’s sanction for prosecuting Chavan on the grounds that it had fresh evidence against him.
Following the governor’s sanction the agency had filed cases against Chavan under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy and cheating.
Chavan had to resign as Maharashtra Chief Minister in November 2010 following allegations that he had allotted flats to his relatives in the controversial Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society in Mumbai. He was also accused of approving the sale of flats in the society to civilians during his earlier tenure as revenue minister. The Adarsh Housing Society was originally conceived as a project to house Kargil war veterans and their widows.
Congress leaders in Mumbai began celebrating as soon as the news of the relief granted to Chavan came out in the morning.
“Yesterday #2G and today #Adarsh. Rejection of fresh sanction given by Hon Governer to prosecute Ashok Chavan by High Court is tight slap on the face of #BJP. #BJP getting exposed every day,” Sanjay Nirupam, president, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, said on Twitter.
