New Delhi: The Supreme Court today put a stay on the demolition of Adarsh housing society in Maharashtra. A division bench, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, said, "No demolition of Adarsh Society building for now” and asked the Defence Ministry to “secure” the building until all appeals are finally decided, and fixed the next date of hearing on August 5.
The Bombay HC had ordered demolition of the Adarsh Housing Society (AHS) in April 2016 and directed the Centre and state government to consider launching criminal proceedings against those bureaucrats, politicians and ministers for “committing various offences in acquiring the plots” on which the society was constructed and for abuse of power. The AHS had then moved the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court verdict. Responding to the SC directive, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said, “We will secure the building and there will be no demolition."
The AHS scam hit the headlines in 2003 when it was found that a high-rise building was coming up in Mumbai’s Colaba area, close to military installations, overriding objections. The AHS was meant to be for war heroes and next of kin of those killed in the Kargil war but it was allegedly found that bureaucrats, politicians and ministers “committing various offences in acquiring the plots”. Investigation into the AHS scam exposed the alleged involvement of then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, who had to resign when it was found that he accorded approval to the project as revenue minister and his relatives had flats in the society building. (UNI)
