New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu awarded government contracts to his family members.
The court directed the state government to provide detailed information on the beneficiaries and clarify whether due process was followed.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan also sought responses from the Union Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) within five weeks.
The PIL, filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa, alleged that government contracts in Arunachal Pradesh were being disproportionately awarded to close relatives of the Chief Minister.
The plea named Khandu’s stepmother Rinchin Drema and nephew Tsering Tashi as beneficiaries.
The court specifically asked for details on whether contracts were awarded to Khandu or his relatives and whether proper tendering processes were followed.
The CJI emphasised the need for transparency and sought reports from the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs, as well as a final status report from the CAG.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, alleged widespread corruption, claiming, “All contracts have been awarded to his wife’s company, his cousins’ companies, etc.”
He described the situation as a “private limited company” governance model.
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The state government dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and an abuse of legal processes, pointing to a CAG report that highlighted efforts by the state to address its challenges.
The PIL also alleged that Pema Khandu and his late father, former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, had influenced the awarding of government contracts, including those for flood restoration projects, to family-owned firms such as Brand Eagles, owned by Rinchin Drema.
The court has scheduled further hearings for the week following July 21, calling for comprehensive affidavits and reports to address the allegations.
