Bhima Housing Society (top) which houses Congress leader KL Gidwani; (below) the CBI team searches MM Wanchoo’s flat in Pune on Sunday. PTI pictures

Jan. 30: The CBI today raided the residences of four accused in the Adarsh housing scam across Maharashtra and in Bihar but not the home of former chief minister Ashok Chavan, also named in the FIR.

The near-simultaneous raids in Nagpur, Pune and Thane in Maharashtra and Madhubani in Bihar happened a day after the probe agency filed a chargesheet against 13 people following a rap from Bombay High Court. Chavan, who had resign as chief minister after the scam broke, was among the 13.

The CBI first searched the housing society’s office in Colaba this morning. An hour later, simultaneous raids began in the homes of the society’s general secretary R.C. Thakur in Madhubani, Nagpur and Thane.

Thakur had served as a defence estates officer and, according to the CBI, was instrumental in making the claim that the land on which the building was constructed belonged to the state government and the army had illegally occupied it.

In Pune and Mumbai, retired Brigadier M.M. Wanchoo and Congress leader K.L. Gidwani’s homes were searched. Wanchoo is the president of the housing society and Gidwani the co-promoter.

The raids on the homes of the three accused ended before lunch. Neither was at home when the CBI came calling.

The three have been named key conspirators in the FIR. “We are likely to issue notices summoning them for questioning,” a CBI officer said.

Gidwani, the FIR said, used the Kargil war-widow rhetoric to get clearances from the state government and change certain land rules to favour the housing society.

“Wanchoo was instrumental in mooting the idea of the housing society,” a CBI officer said in Mumbai.

A little after 3pm, the raids began at the residence of suspended Maharashtra information secretary Ramanand Tiwari, who had served as principal secretary when Chavan was the chief minister. Tiwari was suspended on January 20 by the state government.

The CBI officers claimed that incriminating documents contained in files, laptops and computer hard disks had been seized.

The 13 have been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code for forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy.