Two Ashok Chavan relatives summoned

MUMBAI: The Adarsh judicial commission has summoned two relatives of former chief minister Ashok Chavan to appear as witnesses in the inquiry proceedings. His sister-in-law Seema Sharma and Madanlal Sharma, his father-in-law's brother, were allotted flats in Adarsh.
It comes barely a week after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) described Chavan's role in the charge-sheet, where he is accused of taking decisions in the society's favour and his relatives being allotted the flats as quid pro quo."Investigations have revealed that Chavan had sought induction of civilian members for obtaining favours for close relatives, as his sister-in-law Seema Sharma had applied for society membership," the CBI said in its charge-sheet. "Two more relatives of Chavan were made members and allotted flats subsequently as quid pro quo."
The agency said that Adarsh had applied for exemption from the remaining 15% of the plot as a recreation ground and it was approved by Chavan. While the decision was pending, late Bhagvati Sharma, Chavan's mother-in-law and Madanlal applied for flats, which were subsequently allotted to them. The cost of the flat (Rs 70 lakh each) was paid by the son of Chavan's close associate Jayant Shah, according to the CBI. A part of the money was returned later. "It has also been revealed that Madanlal was not entitled to become a member as he already had a flat in Andheri," said the charge-sheet.
Chavan's counsel had objected to questions being put to the former CM on the issue of civilian members who were admitted to the society. Chavan had assured the commission that he would appear before the panel again to be cross-examined on the issue of membership.
The commission has also summoned Babasaheb Kupekar alias Krishnarao Desai, former Maharashtra assembly speaker, as a witness in the case. Kupekar, who was allotted a flat in 2008, had in 2005 written to then CM Vilasrao Deshmukh recommending additional construction rights in the form of floor space index (FSI) for Adarsh. Kupekar, who had a flat in Powai, claimed that he had transferred it to his daughter.