The Supreme Court on Monday directed the CBI to file a fresh status report on its preliminary enquiry into alleged preferential allotment of government contracts in Arunachal Pradesh to firms said to be owned by or linked to family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu. The order came during a hearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta in New Delhi on August 24.
The Arunachal Pradesh government told the court it had complied with the apex court’s earlier directions and handed over the required records to the probe agency. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, said that pursuant to the Supreme Court’s August 3 order the chief secretary and the principal secretary (Home) were present in court. “We will be able to satisfy the court that they (directions) are complied with in letter and spirit. I (state) would need a week to place the facts on record,” Mehta said, adding that the state has given all documents to the CBI.
The bench granted the state two weeks to place its stand on record and asked the CBI to confirm receipt of the documents. In a status report filed last month the CBI had alleged the state was not cooperating in producing records as directed by the court.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, for the petitioner NGOs, questioned whether material already collected by the CBI during the preliminary enquiry was sufficient to register a regular case; the bench observed that this was a matter for the CBI to examine. Bhushan then sought a fresh status report by the next hearing, and the court ordered: “The CBI shall also submit a fresh status report.”
Background: on April 6 the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to register a preliminary enquiry within two weeks on a plea by Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena seeking a CBI or SIT probe. The bench agreed to hear a separate related plea and asked Mehta to take instructions and file a counter affidavit if necessary. The chief secretary and principal secretary (Home) have filed affidavits; the petitioners were allowed two weeks to reply.
Earlier hearings recorded allegations that about Rs 1,270 crore in contracts and work orders were awarded over the past decade to four firms allegedly linked to Khandu’s family. The court has limited the preliminary enquiry and any subsequent investigation to public works contracts and work orders in Arunachal Pradesh from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2025.
