Adarsh panel summons Shinde and Deshmukh

The two-member commission set up to look into the alleged irregularities in the Adarsh Housing Society has summoned two Union ministers and former chief ministers of Maharashtra,Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde,next month to record their statements.

While Deshmukh has been summoned on June 21 and 22,Shinde has been asked to appear on June 25 and 26. Both had claimed in their affidavits before the commission last June that the Adarsh land belonged to the state government and was never reserved for defence personnel or Kargil war heroes.

Meanwhile,the commission also reserved its order on the application moved by another former chief minister and one of the prime accused in the scam,Ashok Chavan. Chavan had on Tuesday sought exemption from appearing before the commission.