Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Urban Development Principal Secretary, Ramanand Tiwari and ex-BMC Chief Jairaj Pathak were on Wednesday remanded to CBI custody till April 12 by a special court here for their alleged role in the multi-crore Adarsh Housing scam.
Both bureaucrats were arrested yesterday by the CBI after they were questioned in connection with the scam.
CBI on Wednesday informed the court that Tiwari, during his tenure as Principal Secretary of Urban Development, had made correspondence with Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) seeking NOC for development of Adarsh Housing Society although the land for the same purpose had not been allotted till then (when the correspondence was made), CBI submitted.
Further, the CBI said that in response to letter of Urban Development Department (UDD), the MoEF sent a letter clarifying the powers delegated to the state government relating to the CRZ issue.
However, the letter was misrepresented by UDD as NOC given by MOEF which was communicated to the Chief Engineer, Development Plan, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the agency alleged in the court.
Tiwari’s son, Onkar, is having a flat in Adarsh Society, the probe agency submitted.
Seeking custody of Jairaj Pathak, CBI said that during the period when he was the Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai, the high rise committee constituted by the Government of Maharashtra had recommended the height of Adarsh Society to 97.6 metres, which was approved by him. (PTI)
