After rapping the investigating body for sluggish progress in the Adarsh housing society scam on March 12, the Bombay high court on Thursday expressed its satisfaction over the steps taken in the investigation.
The turnaround was the result of the arrest of seven out of 13 accused in the chargesheet, as well as the suspension of two senior IAS officials, as directed by the HC in an earlier hearing. “Now things are proceeding on the right track. We are satisfied with the investigation done so far and have full faith that the probe would be completed as expeditiously as possible,” observed a division bench of Justice P.B. Majmudar and Justice R.D. Dhanuka. The court, however, added that the three agencies involved in investigation should act in tandem instead of shirking responsibility and wasting time.
Meanwhile, the CBI submitted that a high-power committee of top officials of Enforcement Directorate, IT and CBI had been formed and a meeting was held. Minutes of meeting were also submitted.
Earlier in the day, addressing the society members, the HC observed, “The security of the nation is of utmost importance. There is nothing wrong in accepting your mistake and surrendering before the law. You may have committed the mistake then but there can be a change of heart. You are not murderers or terrorists or hardened criminals. Give the building back to defence ministry.”
The court also questioned the clearance given to the society by the Brihanmum-bai Municipal Corporation and planning authority Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.