The Bombay High Court today transferred from the Mumbai Police to CBI the investigation into the missing documents relating to crucial clearances in the Adarsh housing society scam.

The order was passed by a bench headed by Justice B H Marlapalle which directed CBI to submit a progress report within three weeks.

The investigations were being conducted by the Crime Branch of the Mumbai police after Marine Drive police registered a case on November 26 last year.

The bench, however, clarified that its order does not in any way reflect on the manner in which the Crime Branch carried its probe.

The court was hearing petitions filed by Mahendra Singh and others seeking a CBI probe into the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

Observing that a retired driver or a conductor from a remote place in Maharashtra cannot afford to buy a flat in south Mumbai and properties in their names could be benami, the bench also asked CBI to amend the FIR to include The Benami Transactions (probitition) Act, 1988. The act prohibits enforcement of any right by the real owner to recover a property held benami.

In another development, a separate bench of the court sought a response from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest by March 8 to a petition filed by the members of the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society challenging the notice for demolition of the 31-storey building.