The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a plea seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation into the award of public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh to firms allegedly owned by family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria directed all parties to file their written submissions within two weeks.
Appearing for the petitioner NGOs — Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena — advocate Prashant Bhushan relied on a recent affidavit filed by the State of Arunachal Pradesh and contended that several contracts had been awarded to companies linked to the chief minister’s family.
He argued that the matter warranted a CBI probe, stating that the allegations were serious and that a fair investigation could not be expected from the state police.
On December 2 last year, the apex court had directed the Arunachal Pradesh government to place on record a comprehensive affidavit detailing all public works contracts awarded between 2015 and 2025, including those granted to firms owned by members of the chief minister’s family.
After hearing the submissions, the bench reserved its order and permitted the parties to submit written notes within the stipulated time.
The court will decide whether any further investigation, including by a central agency, is warranted.
