Supreme Court Summons Arunachal Chief Secretary, Home Secretary Over Alleged Non-Cooperation in CBI Probe
The Supreme Court has summoned Arunachal Pradesh's Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) after the CBI reported non-cooperation by the state government in its preliminary enquiry into allegations of preferential allotment of public works contracts linked to relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) of the Arunachal Pradesh government after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed the court that it had faced non-cooperation from the state authorities while conducting a preliminary enquiry into allegations related to the award of public works contracts to firms allegedly owned by or associated with relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took note of the CBI’s status report, which stated that the investigating agency had encountered difficulties in obtaining records required for the enquiry. The court observed that the report indicated a lack of cooperation from the state government in providing the necessary documents.
The apex court directed both senior officials to file their responses and ordered them to remain personally present before the bench on August 24 to explain the alleged non-cooperation and non-compliance with the court’s earlier directions.
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The preliminary enquiry stems from the Supreme Court’s order dated April 6, in which it directed the CBI to initiate an enquiry within two weeks into allegations that public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh had been preferentially awarded to firms allegedly owned by or associated with relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
While ordering the enquiry, the Supreme Court had observed that state authorities cannot distribute public benefits based on the “whims of any political or administrative functionary” and held that the matter warranted an independent investigation.
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According to the court’s earlier order, the CBI’s preliminary enquiry and any subsequent investigation, if required, will examine the award and execution of public works contracts and work orders issued in Arunachal Pradesh between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2025. The scope of the investigation also includes documents and compilations submitted before the court during the proceedings.
The case originated from a petition filed by the NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, which sought either a CBI investigation or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged irregularities in the award of government contracts.
The latest proceedings concern the CBI’s claim of inadequate cooperation from the state administration. The Supreme Court has not expressed any finding on the merits of the allegations against the Chief Minister, and the preliminary enquiry remains ongoing.
