In an affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court today, the CM denied any personal involvement in the controversial constuction. His affidavit is the last in the series filed by various respondents, including the State Government, in response to the two public interest petitions alleging illegal construction by Vyas. Joshi's affidavit assumes political significance since he heads the Urban Development Ministry which issued instructions to the Pune Muncipal Corporation regarding Vyas' building plan.

Pune corporator Nitin Jagtap and freelance journalist Vijay Kumbhar have filed the two PILs alleging misuse of political clout by Vyas to dereserve a a plot at Prabhat Road in Pune, which was originally meant for a primary school. It is alleged that officials in the Pune MunicipalCorporation changed various rules to enable Vyas construct the multi-storeyed complex, in lieu of which Vyas gave an alternate plot for the school in a distant Pune suburb.

It is also alleged that before the exact orders of dereservation were issued this year, the building had already been constructed. Both these petitions are being heard by the division bench of Chief Justice M B Shah and Y S Jahagirdar and the matter will come up for final hearing on September 25.

Joshi's affidavit states that he did not dictate any order the Minister of State for Urban Development Ravindra Mane regarding the construction permission, as alleged by the petitioners. Moreover, he did not even put any pressure on the then municipal commissioner Ramanath Zha or PMC's city engineer Madhav Harihar to bend rules for his son-in-law.

Joshi maintained that both the petitions are ``frivolous'' and based on ``unverified press reports''. He has said that although courts have deprecated the practise of making allegations ofmalafides without material evidence, the petitioners have not bothered to substantiate their claims.

Joshi has said that a note (dated July 26) regarding the proposed development of the Prabhat Road plot came to him first in August 1996.

The affidavit states that his political opponents started alleging his involvement in granting permission towards construction. Since these allegations were given wide media publicity, he directed his office not to put up any note in connection with Vyas' building. Joshi has stated that he has not used executive powers to ensure monetary benefits to his kin and maintained that nothing illegal has been done by the government.

Meanwhile, the tenants, currently staying in a portion of the Prabhat Road plot, filed an intervention application today in the court. The tenants maintain that their interests are affected since the petitioners seek to demolish the building.