Adarsh files go missing

In yet another incident, key files relating to the infamous Adarsh Housing Society went missing from the office of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials have said. "Many files related to the scam-tainted Adarsh Society have gone missing from the MoEF office in New Delhi," an official said, declining to comment further.

The discovery was made when a CBI official visited the MOEF office in Delhi last week. However, on Saturday, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh sought to downplay the incident, saying it was not a "permanent" file that had gone missing, adding that his ministry had "reconstructed the correspondence side of the file," which contains a letter from Maharashtra government, a letter from the ministry seeking details, and the ministry's advise on handling the issue under CRZ Notification 1991.

In November 2010, key files regarding clearances granted to Adarsh society had gone missing from the Urban Development Department of the Maharashtra government.