Two get bail in Adarsh scam

Mumbai, June 7 (IANS) Two accused in the Adarsh Housing Society scam were granted bail by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here Thursday after the probe agency failed to file a chargesheet against them within the stipulated 60-day period.

The two -- former municipal commissioner of Mumbai Jairaj Phatak and former state information commissioner Ramanand Tiwari -- were arrested April 3 by the CBI for their alleged role in the scam. They had filed their bail pleas Monday.

In their bail applications, the duo pointed out that the offences under which they were booked were punishable with imprisonment for less than 10 years. Accordingly, the CBI should have filed its chargesheet within 60 days of being produced before the CBI court.

However, since the CBI had failed to file its chargesheet, they were entitled to get bail.

Last month, a Mumbai court had granted bail to seven other accused in the case.

They included: former IAS officer Pradeep Vyas, ex-deputy secretary in Urban Development Department P.V. Deshmukh, retired Brigadier M.M. Wanchoo, former defence estates officer R.C. Thakur, retired Maj. General T.K. Kaul and former legislator Kanhaiyalal Gidwai.

All the nine accused were slapped with various charges and sections related to criminal conspiracy under Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act and Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.

The arrests were made in the course of investigations into the Adarsh Society scam, a 31-storey building in Colaba constructed on land originally intended for families of Kargil war heroes.

The Bombay High Court is directly monitoring the probe being conducted by CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department into the case, and the next hearing is fixed for June 18.