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The Supreme Court connected Monday (April 6, 2026) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to commence a preliminary enquiry into allegations that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s household was awarded nationalist contracts worthy ₹1,270 crore implicit 10 years from January 2015 to December 2025 successful nonstop struggle of interest.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, successful a judgment, disposed of a petition filed by NGOs Voluntary Arunachal Sena and Save Mon Region Federation, represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi, with an bid to the CBI to taxable a broad presumption study connected its enquiry wrong the adjacent 16 weeks.
Petitioners alleged that determination was rampant corruption, nepotism and dispensing with a transparent and unfastened tender strategy successful the grant of contracts for 10 years betwixt January 2015 till December 31, 2025.
The Court directed the CBI to commence its preliminary enquiry wrong 2 weeks of this judgment. The Court clarified that the intent of the preliminary enquiry was to independently look into the veracity of the allegations, and should not beryllium construed arsenic a remark connected the merits of the lawsuit and prejudice anyone.
“The preliminary enquiry and consequential investigation, if any, would screen the grant of nationalist contracts, enactment orders successful the State of Arunachal Pradesh from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2025, including works placed connected grounds successful these proceedings,” the judgement directed.
Significantly, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to “particularly examine” awards made to Mr. Khandu, his member Tsering Tashi and step-mother Rinchin Drema and individuals/firms related to them.
The Court directed the CBI to look into assorted aspects of the grant of the nationalist contracts, including the procurement process, reasons for dispensing with unfastened tender, question of compliance with applicable statutory requirements, availability and custody of records, the travel of funds and payments and specified different connected aspects indispensable to ascertain if immoderate illegality oregon cognisable offence was disclosed.
The judgment, pronounced by Justice Nath, said the CBI would not beryllium precluded from looking into transactions extracurricular the 10-year play from 2015-2025 to the constricted grade indispensable for tracing beneficial ownership, related enactment links, money travel and different connected circumstances that carnivore upon the transactions during that decade.
The Court said the Arunachal Pradesh Government apparatus, its assorted departments and authorities indispensable propulsion each stops and cooperate afloat with the CBI.
“They shall wrong 4 weeks of this judgement marque disposable each the applicable records, authorisation orders, administrative approvals, method sanctions, tenders, comparative statements, tender committee records, enactment orders, agreements, measurement books, bills and vouchers, utilisation and completion certificates and physics information related to e-procurements and payments,” the Supreme Court ordered.
The Bench directed the State Chief Secretary to designate a nodal serviceman successful 1 week to enactment successful coordination with the CBI. The departments acrophobic should besides travel suit and name nodal officers to liaison with the Central probe bureau and assistance them afloat entree to immoderate records applicable to the investigation.
The Court directed the CBI to record a presumption study successful 16 weeks.
