Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: The Supreme Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to file a fresh status report regarding alleged contract favoritism in Arunachal Pradesh. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta issued the directive on August 24. The probe centers on accusations that state contracts went to firms tied to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s relatives.
Petitioner counsel Prashant Bhushan represented the Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena. His clients allege that government work orders worth roughly Rs 1,270 crore were handed to four firms linked to the CM’s family over the past decade. The court previously ordered a preliminary inquiry on April 6 after these groups demanded a central probe.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Advocate General Indranil Choudhury represented the state. They told the court the government handed over all requested records to federal investigators. The state officials said the government acted “in letter and spirit” to meet judicial demands. Both the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary (Home) filed affidavits and appeared in court, satisfying show-cause notices from an August 3 order. They are now excused from future personal appearances unless specifically summoned.
The bench noted the state provided a massive volume of records covering all state contracts. Judges warned that dumping too many documents could stall the investigation. The court also took up a related petition, WP(C) No. 995/2026, filed by Nabam Kakum. This case, tagged with MA 2216/2026 in WP(C) No. 543/2024, will proceed with new notice requirements.
The CBI must submit its report within two weeks. The court will hear the matter again in four weeks. The scope of the inquiry covers public works and contracts awarded between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2025.
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