Supreme Court Grants Three-Week Deadline for Union’s Response in Arunachal CM Public Contracts Case
Bench warns: “No more time will be given” in PIL on alleged irregularities linked to CM Pema Khandu’s family firms
NEW DELHI- The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union of India to file its counter-affidavit within three weeks in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged irregular awarding of public contracts to firms linked to relatives of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made it clear that no further extensions would be allowed, observing, “Union of India prays for and is granted 3 weeks and no more time to file the affidavit.”
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The PIL, moved by Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, alleges that government contracts were awarded without due process to companies such as M/s Brand Eagles (owned by CM’s spouse) and M/s Alliance Trading Co. (owned by his nephew).
During the hearing, Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, pointed out that while the Arunachal Pradesh government had already filed its affidavit in compliance with the court’s March 2025 order, the Union Ministries of Home Affairs and Finance had failed to respond.
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The bench took note of the presence of Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, reiterating that earlier orders had already required responses from the ministries, making fresh impleadments unnecessary.
The case traces back to January 29, 2024, when notices were issued to the Centre, the Arunachal Pradesh government, the CBI, and other parties. The matter will now be listed for further hearing in February 2026.
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The PIL has attracted wide attention, highlighting concerns over transparency and accountability in Arunachal’s governance. The apex court’s firm stance signals urgency in scrutinizing the alleged misuse of public funds through favoritism in contract awards.
