The Adarsh Housing Society scam was a major scandal that came to light in 2010. The Society was meant to be a housing development for war veterans and their families, but it was instead used as a way for politicians and bureaucrats to get their hands on prime real estate in Mumbai. The scandal led to a number of investigations and ultimately resulted in the demolition of the Adarsh Society.
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The scandal came to light when the environmental activist group, NAPM (National Alliance of People’s Movements), filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the Bombay High Court, alleging that the construction of the Adarsh building violated coastal regulation zone laws.
An inquiry commission set up by the court found that numerous irregularities had been committed in the construction of the building, and it ordered that the building be demolished.
The Adarsh housing society scam caused widespread outrage in India and led to investigations against several politicians and bureaucrats who were involved in the Scam. It also resulted in changes to coastal regulation laws in India, making it more difficult for builders to construct high-rise buildings on coastal land.
This blog post will look at the Adarsh Housing Society scandal, the alleged violations, and the court’s decision. We will also draw some conclusions from this case.
About Adarsh Society
Adarsh housing society is a residential complex located in the Colaba area of Mumbai, India. The Society came into existence in the year 2003 and was constructed on land that was originally meant to be used for housing Kargil War heroes and their families.
The Adarsh housing society was originally constructed for the families of soldiers who had died in the 1999 Kargil War. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation currently investigates the complex due to alleged irregularities.
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The Supreme Court has ordered a stay on the demolition of the controversial Adarsh housing society in Mumbai. The stay was granted after the army, which owns the Society’s land, filed a plea seeking more time to relocate the residents.
The army had earlier been given a deadline of December 31, 2016, to demolish the Society, but had sought an extension due to the difficult task of finding new homes for the Society’s residents.
The Adarsh society has been mired in controversy since it was first revealed that several politicians and bureaucrats had been given flats in the Society, which was meant for war heroes and their families.
The stay order from the Supreme Court will no doubt come as a relief to the residents of the Society, who have been living in uncertainty for the past few months. However, it remains to be seen how long the stay will last and whether the army will eventually be able to demolish the Society.
Alleged Violations
The Adarsh Housing Society scandal came to light in November 2010 when it was revealed that a luxury apartment block in Mumbai had been built on land meant for war veterans and their families. The scandal resulted in a number of arrests, including that of the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan.
Ketan Tirodkar, a journalist known for his investigative work, was the one who exposed the Adarsh housing society scam in Mumbai. Tirodkar revealed that the Society was permitted to construct a taller building than what was originally planned and that the extra height was sold off to members at a higher price.
He also alleged that the Society did not follow environmental norms while constructing the building. The Adarsh housing society scam is a major embarrassment for the state government, and it is yet to be seen how they will respond to the allegations.
It is alleged that the Adarsh Housing Society violated a number of laws to get the project approved and constructed. These include the Coastal Regulation Zone rules, which prohibit construction within 500 metres of the coast; environmental clearance rules; and rules regarding the height of buildings in the area.
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It is also alleged that some of the flats in the Adarsh Housing Society were allocated to politicians and bureaucrats, who did not qualify for them as per the Society’s rules. This led to accusations of corruption and nepotism against those involved in the scandal.
The Society has been under the scanner of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and the ED (Enforcement Directorate). The Supreme Court has also taken aware of the matter.
The Adarsh Housing Society is a controversial building, and many believe that the rules were bent in its construction. Moreover, the building symbolises the alleged corruption in the system and the impunity with which the powerful operate.
CAG’s Role in the Scam
The CAG is India’s top auditing body and is responsible for auditing all government departments and agencies. In 2010, the CAG released a report on the Adarsh housing society, which pointed out several irregularities in the way the Society had been set up and operated.
This report was instrumental in uncovering the massive fraud perpetrated by the Society’s promoters. The CAG’s findings led to a series of investigations which eventually led to the arrest and conviction of several people involved in the Scam.
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With the CAG’s intervention, the Adarsh housing society scam would likely have come to light. The CAG’s role in uncovering this scandal is a reminder of the important role that auditing bodies can play in ensuring transparency and accountability in government.
What was the Decision of the Court?
In 2017, the Bombay high court overturned the authorization that had been given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the governor of Maharashtra, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, to prosecute senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan in connection with the Adarsh housing society fraud.
Ashok Chavan was chief minister from December 2008 till he resigned in November 2010 amid corruption allegations related to the Adarsh scam. The following is a chronological order of the events that occurred in the Adarsh housing society fraud case:
- Case Growth – The year 2011
The CBI investigated a corruption case in 2011 that involved 14 people, including the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The people were charged with breaking the Prevention of Corruption Act. The scandal led to the resignation of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, and the arrest of several high-ranking officials.
This is a list of all the high-ranking officials that were arrested in the Adarsh Housing Society Scam:
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1. Ashok Chavan – Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra
2. K. V. Kamath – Former Chairman of the Indian Banks Association
3. Sushil Kumar Shinde – Former Union Minister for Power
4. Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil – Member of Parliament
5. Kanhaiyalal Gidwani – Promoter of Adarsh Housing Society/ Former Congress MLC
6. Ramanand Tiwari – State Information Commissioner
7. Subhash Lalla – Member of the State Human Rights Commission
8. Jairaj Phatak – Former Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai
9. Wanchoo – Retd Brigadier
10. P. V. Deshmukh – Deputy Secretary of the Urban Development Department
In 2011, the government of Maharashtra appointed two judges to serve as investigators in order to look into the claims. The organisation was led by Justice J. A. Patil. In 2013, the group’s investigations yielded the discovery of 25 illicit property allotments, including 22 transactions that were done by proxies.
- Case Growth – The year 2012
On July 4, 2012, the government filed charges against all the accused. They built an apartment without permission, and the court said it had to be knocked down. The people who had done something wrong had to pay for the apartment to be knocked down.
- Case Growth – The Year 2013
In 2013, Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan didnot allow Chavan to be prosecuted in a case. But a court and the Bombay High Court said Chavan must be prosecuted.
- Case Growth – The Year 2014
In 2104, Chavan produced further arguments for consideration. The CBI had earlier decided to not proceed with the accusations against Chavan, however, the courts were not in agreement with this decision. So the CBI asked the High Court to make the decision instead.
Justice Tahaliyani said that Chavan would be charged for things he did when he was a Minister and Chief Minister. The judge also said that Chavan could still be prosecuted for these things, even though an earlier judge had said he couldn’t.
- Case Growth – The Year 2016
In April 2016, The Bombay High Court said that the 31-storey Adarsh building in Mumbai was built illegally and must be demolished. The people who built it will have to face criminal charges. But the Adarsh Housing Society can ask the Supreme Court to stop the demolition for 12 weeks.
In July 2016, The Supreme Court stopped the tearing down of Adarsh Housing Society. Instead, they asked the defence forces to take care of it while the court decided if it was built against the law and with help from politicians and government workers.
In 2016, a new Governor, Vidyasagar Rao, allowed the CBI to prosecute Chavan, but Chavan argued against it. The CBI said that Chavan was the Chief Minister when he made a bad decision. He allowed extra space for a group of people and got two flats for his family in return. He also allowed 40% of the flats to go to civilians, which was illegal.
In India, the Adarsh Housing Society Scandal was a significant political scandal that surfaced in 2010. The issue included the Adarsh Housing Society’s development of an apartment complex in Mumbai for the families of servicemen who had perished in the 1999 Kargil War.
Later, it was discovered that many of the apartments in the complex were given to powerful individuals like politicians and that the organisation had broken various laws to get the construction permitted.
The Adarsh housing society scandal exposed serious flaws in India’s system of governance. The fact that influential people could use their power and connections to get illegal benefits highlights the need for reform.
In addition, the slow pace of investigation and prosecution, in this case, shows how difficult it can be to bring those responsible for corruption to justice.
The Adarsh housing society scandal is a reminder that much work needs to be done if India is to root out corruption from its institutions. But unfortunately, when it comes to housing societies, there are a lot of scams that take place.
Adarsh housing society is one such example. In this case, NoBroker can help you by providing you with a platform where you can find verified and reliable housing societies. This way, you can ensure you’re not being scammed and getting the best possible deal.
FAQ’s
Q1. What is the Adarsh Housing Society scam?
Ans. The Adarsh housing society scam is a corruption scandal that occurred in 2010 in India. Several high-ranking officials and politicians were alleged to have been involved in illegally constructing a luxury apartment complex in Mumbai. The scandal resulted in a number of investigations and ultimately led to the resignation of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Q2. Who was involved in the Adarsh Housing Society scam?
Ans. High-ranking officials and politicians were alleged to be involved in the illegal construction of the Adarsh housing complex, including Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. Other individuals who were named in connection with the scandal include several retired military officers and bureaucrats.
Q3. Who exposed the fraud at Adarsh Housing Society?
Ans. The Bombay High Court’s oversight of the CBI probe made the scandal public.
Q4. What are the consequences of the Adarsh Housing Society scam?
Ans. The Adarsh housing scandal resulted in a number of investigations and ultimately led to the resignation of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. The scandal also questioned the legitimacy of several other politicians and officials who were allegedly involved in the construction of the housing complex.
Q5. Who perpetrated India’s biggest Scam?
Ans. The Harshad Mehta Scam of 1992 and the Ketan Parekh Scam of 2001 were two of the greatest frauds in India.
