Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Monday instructed the Centre to submit its response within three weeks to a public interest litigation (PIL) that accuses Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu of awarding state contracts to his family members, Arunachal Times and PTI reported.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted that while the Arunachal Pradesh government had already filed its affidavit in line with the court’s March 18 order, the Union of India had yet to do so.
The PIL, filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa, alleges that government contracts in the state were largely given to firms linked to Khandu’s relatives. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, argued that the Centre had failed to file its affidavit despite clear directions.
“The state of Arunachal Pradesh is being run like a private limited company by the chief minister,” Bhushan alleged, citing the affidavit’s details on contract allocations.
Counsel for the state opposed this contention, dismissing the plea as “sponsored litigation” and pointing to contracts dating back to 2010 and 2011.
The court, however, made it clear that technical objections would not excuse the Centre’s delay. “This court had given you a direction. File the affidavit,” the bench told the Centre’s counsel, stressing that both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance were required to respond.
Granting a final three weeks’ time, the bench also observed that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had filed its report. Petitioners were allowed to respond to the state’s affidavit.
The PIL names Pema Khandu, his stepmother Rinchin Drema, and his nephew Tsering Tashi as parties. Drema’s firm, Brand Eagles, has been accused of receiving numerous government contracts despite an alleged conflict of interest.
The case traces back to former chief minister Dorjee Khandu, Pema Khandu’s father, who held office from 2007 until his death in a helicopter crash in 2011.
The petitioners maintain that contracts for flood restoration works and other major projects were disproportionately awarded to Khandu’s family and close associates, suggesting such favoritism could not have occurred without his active involvement.
The matter will be heard again after three weeks.
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