Photo Courtesy: nenow
Itanagar: The Supreme Court ordered the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary (Home) to appear in person on August 24. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued the summons after the CBI filed a status report on July 17. The report claims the state government blocked the agency from accessing necessary documents. The judges were blunt about the obstruction.
"The status report reflects that there is non-cooperation on behalf of the State government with respect to furnishing records," the bench observed. The court wants a direct explanation for this defiance.
This battle stems from a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena. The groups allege massive graft in public works contracts awarded between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2025. The petition claims firms tied to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s family and associates scooped up these deals. It specifically names Rinchin Drema, the second wife of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, and Tsering Tashi, a nephew of Pema Khandu, as respondents. The allegations include conflict of interest and violations of anti-corruption norms.
The Supreme Court previously ordered the CBI to run a preliminary probe into these contracts. It commanded the state to appoint a nodal officer and hand over every relevant file. The court also warned the state to protect all evidence. Now, top bureaucrats must face the bench to account for the missing cooperation.
Comments