Congress demands HC-monitored SIT in Adarsh issue

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The Congress on Monday demanded setting up of a Bombay High Court-monitored Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe criminal culpability on Adarsh building issue.

"On April 29, 2016, the Bombay High Court directed the government in a writ petition to enquire into the role of army officers with regard to the Adarsh Building issue.

"One of the directions of the High Court was whether these officers had compromised the security of the Colaba Military Station. The enquiry report has been exceptionally critical of the role of the current Director of the Vivekananda International Foundation (and former army chief), Gen N.C. Vij (retd) and other retired senior personnel of the armed forces," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari.

"The most giving indictment in this report is that the entire hierarchy would be acutely aware that the Chief of the Army Staff himself had a vested interest in the matter," he added.

Tewari also said: "Though the report said that since these officers have retired and more than three years have elapsed since their retirement, therefore provisions of the Army Act do not apply but there is larger and more fundamental question questions regarding the criminal culpability.

"So, under those circumstances, a question arises that given these observations and recommendations contained in the enquiry report, can a free and fair investigation is in order to establish criminal culpability."

He said that he would like to submit to the High Court that since they are seized of the matter and hearing a whole batch of writ petitions and PILs, "it would be in the fairness of things that a Special Investigating Team under the court is constituted to probe into the question of criminal culpability".

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