Itanagar, April 6: The Supreme Court of India on April 6 directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of irregular allotment of public contracts by the Arunachal Pradesh government to firms linked to relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria ordered the probe and asked the agency to submit its findings within 16 weeks, indicating whether a full-fledged investigation is required.
The court directed the CBI to examine contracts awarded between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2025, while permitting it to widen the scope if necessary. It also instructed the state government and its departments to extend full cooperation and provide all relevant records within four weeks, ensuring that no documents are destroyed during the process.
Additionally, the Chief Secretary has been asked to appoint a nodal officer within a week to coordinate with the agency.
The direction came in response to a petition filed by Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa, represented by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan. The petitioners alleged that contracts worth around ₹1,270 crore were awarded to companies linked to the Chief Minister’s family members, including his spouse, mother and nephew.
Among the allegations, the petition cited contracts awarded to a construction firm linked to Khandu’s spouse and another firm allegedly owned by his nephew, Tsering Tashi, claiming due procedures were not followed in the tendering process.
Filed in 2024, the plea sought an independent probe by the CBI or a Special Investigation Team, alleging favouritism in the allocation of key public works contracts.
The case has undergone multiple hearings over the past year. In March 2025, the apex court had sought responses from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the state government regarding the tendering process. Earlier proceedings also referred to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in connection with similar allegations.
During earlier hearings, former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna had noted that existing guidelines prohibit ministers from extending undue benefits to relatives.
The latest directive marks a significant step in determining whether the allegations warrant a deeper criminal investigation.
