A chronology of Adarsh housing society scam: Bombay HC rejects sanction to prosecute Ashok Chavan

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday set aside the sanction granted to the CBI by Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to prosecute senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh housing society scam.

A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Sadhana Jadhav ruled that though the CBI had claimed to be in possession of fresh evidence against Chavan at the time of seeking the sanction, it “failed to present any fresh evidence.”

Following is the chronology of events pertaining to senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh housing society scam case.

Nov 2010: Adarsh scam unearthed. CBI probe begins.

29 January, 2011: CBI registers FIR in case against 14 persons, including former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, under IPC section 120 (b) for criminal conspiracy and various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.

4 July, 2012: CBI files first charge sheet in the case before special CBI court.

Dec 2013: Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan refuses sanction to prosecute Ashok Chavan.

Jan 2014: Sessions court refuses to delete Ashok Chavan’s name as accused in the case on request made by CBI.

Mar 2015: Bombay High Court also dismisses Ashok Chavan’s petition seeking deletion of his name from the case.

Oct 2015: CBI submits fresh evidence to Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao seeking sanction once again.

Feb 2016: Governor Rao grants the CBI permission to prosecute Ashok Chavan. Chavan approaches HC challenging Governor’s order.

22 December, 2017: HC allows Chavan’s petition and quashes and sets aside Governor’s order granting sanction to prosecute him.