Supreme Court orders CBI probe into allegations against Arunachal CM Pema Khandu over allotment of public contracts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a preliminary probe by the CBI into the award of contracts for development work in Arunachal Pradesh to firms allegedly linked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu's family members.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed the Arunachal Pradesh government and all its concerned departments, authorities, and instrumentalities to cooperate fully with the CBI.

The state of Arunachal Pradesh must ensure that no record, physical or electronic, relevant to the subject matter of the enquiry and investigation is destroyed, the court ordered.

“The CBI shall register a preliminary enquiry (PE) within two weeks from the date of the judgment and shall proceed in accordance with law. The PE and the consequential investigation, if any, shall cover the award and execution of public works, contracts, and work orders in Arunachal Pradesh for the period of 1.1.2015 to 31.12.2025, including the works and compilations on record in these proceedings,” the bench said.

Pronouncing the verdict on behalf of the bench, Justice Nath said, “The CBI shall, in particular, examine awards made to respondents 4-6, and to firms and individuals related to them, and shall examine the procurement process. The reasons and approvals for dispensing with open tender. The compliance with the applicable statutory and statutory requirements. The availability and custody of records, the flow of funds and payments, and such other connected aspects as are necessary to ascertain whether any legality or cognisable offence is disclosed."

The bench ordered the state authorities to make available all relevant records, including sanction orders, administrative approvals, technical sanctions, tenders, comparative statements, tender committee records, work orders, agreements, bills, vouchers, utilisation certificates and all electronic data related to e-procurement and payments to the CBI within four weeks.

The court directed the CBI to file a status report before it within 16 weeks.

On February 17, the court reserved its order on a plea for a CBI probe into the award of contracts for public works in Arunachal Pradesh to firms owned by the family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, argued the plea for NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena. He claimed a number of contracts were awarded to companies owned by the family members of the chief minister and sought a CBI investigation into the matter.