The Supreme Court has instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate a preliminary investigation into accusations of government contracts in Arunachal Pradesh being granted to companies associated with Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s family members. The directive comes in response to a public interest litigation filed by the Save Mon Region Federation, urging the CBI to look into the award and implementation of public works contracts from November 2015 to 2025.
The inquiry will focus on contracts allegedly provided to entities linked to the individuals mentioned in the petition, which include companies connected to the Chief Minister’s relatives such as his wife, mother, and nephew. A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria stated that the CBI will examine tender awards, project execution, and payment transactions. It was clarified that the investigation is not limited to the specified timeframe and may extend to transactions outside that period if necessary.
The CBI has been given a 16-week deadline to present a status report indicating whether a comprehensive independent investigation is warranted. The Supreme Court emphasized that its current assessments are solely to determine the necessity for further inquiry and do not constitute any judgment on the allegations’ validity.
The petitioners have alleged that contracts totaling approximately Rs 1,270 crore were unlawfully granted to companies linked to the Chief Minister’s family members. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, argued that tenders were irregularly assigned and at inflated prices. The petition specifically mentioned a construction company owned by Khandu’s spouse, M/s Brand Eagles, as a beneficiary of the alleged improprieties. It also cited his nephew, Tsering Tashi, an MLA from Tawang district, who owns M/s Alliance Trading Co., claiming that his company received contracts without due process.
The petition, filed in 2024, called for a CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into what it characterized as preferential allocation of significant public works contracts to the Chief Minister’s relatives.