In a significant development for Arunachal Pradesh politics, the Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a preliminary inquiry into the alleged irregular allotment of government contracts linked to the family of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
The order came in the writ petition filed by the Save Mon Region Federation and another petitioner — Save Mon Region Federation & Anr. v. State of Arunachal Pradesh & Ors., W.P. (C) No. 54 of 2024. The petitioners had argued that, given the Chief Minister’s position, it would be impossible for the state police to conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations.
What the court directed
The court ordered the CBI to examine the award and execution of contracts from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2025, while clarifying that the agency may also look at transactions beyond this period if necessary. The CBI has been given 16 weeks to submit a status report.
The state government and its departments were directed to fully cooperate and furnish all relevant records within four weeks, with a categorical order that no records related to the contracts be destroyed. The Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh has been asked to appoint a nodal officer within a week to coordinate with the CBI.
The allegations
The petitioners allege favouritism in the allotment of public development projects, claiming — without independent verification — that contracts worth around 3% of total state contracts went to firms linked to the Chief Minister’s family. They invoked the Code of Conduct issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which prohibits ministers from granting undue benefits to relatives, and cited the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case also touches upon past allegations involving the Chief Minister’s late father, former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu — claims that remain unverified. The matter had been under consideration for over a year, with the court earlier seeking responses from the Union Home and Finance Ministries.
As the CBI begins its inquiry, scrutiny will focus on the firms named in the petition. The episode adds a judicial dimension to the state’s already heated political contest, where the Congress and BJP have traded barbs over corruption and governance — including the recent clash between the state BJP and student leader Neha Bora — even as opposition groups like the Arunachal Congress have demanded accountability from the ruling establishment.
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