ITANAGAR: The Supreme Court has issued a directive for the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to investigate the allocation of government contracts to companies allegedly associated with the relatives of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
The bench, comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi, delivered the order while addressing a decade-old petition filed by the NGO, Voluntary Arunachal Sena.
The plea, initially submitted in 2010, sought a central agency probe, such as by the CBI, into corruption allegations against Khandu’s kin.
Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi represented the Arunachal Pradesh-based organisation, which alleged significant irregularities, corruption, and misuse of power within the state’s governance framework.
Specifically, the petition highlighted the awarding of government contracts, including those related to rice distribution, to companies linked to the chief minister’s family members.
The plea detailed instances of purported malpractices, citing fraudulent activities concerning the distribution of food grains, amounting to Rs. 68,44,07,911.00 under the Special Component of the “Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojna” during 2003-04.
Moreover, it raised concerns about the misuse and misappropriation of funds from the National Calamity Contingency Fund and Calamity Relief Fund, totalling Rs. 3.34 crore.
Earlier, on January 29, a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had agreed to examine a separate plea urging a CBI or SIT investigation into the awarding of public works contracts to firms owned by Chief Minister Khandu’s family members.
The PIL, filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, prompted notices to the Centre, the Arunachal Pradesh government, and others.
Parties implicated in the case include Pema Khandu’s father Dorjee Khandu’s second wife, Rinchin Drema, and his nephew Tsering Tashi.
The petition alleged that Rinchin Drema’s firm, Brand Eagles, received numerous government contracts, raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
