SC asks Arunachal Pradesh to file detailed affidavit on contracts to CM’s family

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Arunachal Pradesh government to file a comprehensive affidavit detailing contracts awarded between 2015 and 2025, including those given to firms owned by Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s family members, calling the statistics “telling.”

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said it would decide whether any inquiry is required while hearing a plea seeking a CBI probe into allegations of preferential awarding of public works contracts to firms owned by Khandu’s immediate family.

“The coincidence is absolutely remarkable,” the bench observed, noting that differences between competing firms’ tenders were reportedly miniscule, which could indicate cartelisation. “If that is so, that becomes serious,” the court added.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, told the court that the state affidavit showed several contracts and work orders were awarded to firms of Khandu’s immediate family. The court questioned why the affidavit included details only for Tawang district, while Bhushan noted that even Tawang’s data was incomplete.

The state’s counsel requested additional time to file a detailed affidavit covering all districts, which the bench allowed, granting eight weeks and posting the matter for hearing on February 3, 2026. The court emphasised that the information should cover 2015–2025 only, as per its earlier order.

Bhushan highlighted that the affidavit revealed 31 contracts worth Rs 188 crore and work orders worth Rs 2.61 crore in Tawang over the past decade. He noted that contracts below Rs 50 lakh were awarded without tenders, reportedly favouring companies “trusted by local people,” which included firms linked to the Chief Minister and his wife.

Referring to earlier directions, the bench noted that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had examined some allegations, including instances such as transporting rice by headload despite available roads, which appeared highly irregular and drew comparisons to the Bihar fodder scam.

The plea also names Pema Khandu, his father Dorjee Khandu’s second wife Rinchin Drema, and nephew Tsering Tashi as parties. Drema’s firm, Brand Eagles, allegedly received a large number of government contracts despite a clear conflict of interest. Dorjee Khandu had served as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister from 2007 until his death in a helicopter crash in April 2011.

The Supreme Court said the state must submit a comprehensive affidavit covering all districts, including Tawang, and that it would subsequently consider whether any investigation or inquiry is warranted.