The Supreme Court has reserved its order on a plea seeking a court-monitored CBI probe into public works contracts allegedly awarded to firms linked to Arunachal CM Pema Khandu’s family. The Bench has asked all parties to file written submissions within two weeks before deciding on further investigation.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a petition seeking a court-monitored CBI probe into the alleged award of public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh to firms linked to the family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria heard detailed arguments in the matter and directed all parties to file their written submissions within two weeks. The case has drawn attention due to allegations that government contracts were awarded to companies allegedly connected to the Chief Minister’s relatives.
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The petition has been filed by two NGOs — Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena. Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Prashant Bhushan relied on a recent affidavit submitted by the State of Arunachal Pradesh. He argued that the affidavit itself shows that several public works contracts were granted to companies linked to the Chief Minister’s family members.
According to the petitioners, these contracts were awarded over a period of time, raising concerns about transparency and possible conflict of interest in the functioning of the State government. The plea seeks an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), monitored by the Supreme Court, to ensure fairness and accountability.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that the matter required a CBI inquiry because the allegations were serious in nature. He contended that a fair and impartial investigation could not be expected from the state police machinery in a case involving the sitting Chief Minister’s family members.
Earlier, on December 2 last year, the apex court had directed the Arunachal Pradesh government to file a comprehensive affidavit. The Court had asked the State to place on record complete details of all public works contracts awarded between 2015 and 2025. This included contracts granted to firms owned by members of the Chief Minister’s family.
The affidavit was subsequently filed, and arguments were advanced based on its contents. After hearing submissions from both sides, the Bench decided not to pass an immediate order. Instead, it reserved its judgment and granted liberty to all parties to submit their written notes within the stipulated time of two weeks.
The Supreme Court will now examine whether further investigation is required and whether such a probe should be handed over to a central agency like the CBI. The final decision will determine if the allegations surrounding the award of contracts in Arunachal Pradesh warrant a court-monitored investigation.
The matter remains pending before the top court, and its ruling is expected to clarify the scope of judicial intervention in cases involving alleged irregularities in government contract awards.
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