Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu claims a one-sided Supreme Court hearing forced the summons of his state's top officials. Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta ordered the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Home to appear in court on August 24. This follows a CBI report alleging the state refused to hand over vital records for an ongoing corruption probe.
Khandu insists the legal trouble stems from a procedural failure. The state's standing counsel missed the court date, leaving officials unable to counter the CBI's claims. "The standing counsel members from Arunachal Pradesh missed the hearing. Because of their absence, it became a one-sided hearing, and the state could neither represent its position nor place before the court the cooperation extended to the CBI in terms of providing data and records," Khandu said.
The legal fight traces back to a Public Interest Litigation from the Save Mon Region Federation. They allege Khandu steered government contracts worth hundreds of crores toward family members and associates. The court previously ordered a CBI inquiry into all work orders from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2025. Officials must now explain their compliance record to the bench when they appear later this month.
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