The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to begin a preliminary inquiry into allegations that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu's family received public contracts worth ₹1,270 crore from January 2015 to December 2025. The order addresses claims of corruption and nepotism in the awarding process.
A bench of the Supreme Court issued the directive on April 6, 2026. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta disposed of a petition by NGOs Voluntary Arunachal Sena and Save Mon Region Federation, ordering the CBI to file a status report within 16 weeks.
The petitioners alleged rampant corruption, nepotism, and bypassing of transparent tender processes in awarding contracts from January 2015 to December 31, 2025. The court clarified that the preliminary inquiry aims to verify the allegations without commenting on the merits or prejudicing anyone.
The probe will particularly examine awards to Pema Khandu, his brother Tsering Tashi, step-mother Rinchin Drema, and related individuals or firms. It covers procurement processes, reasons for skipping open tenders, statutory compliance, record custody, fund flows, and other aspects to detect any illegality.
The court allowed the CBI to investigate transactions outside the 2015-2025 period if needed for tracing ownership or links. The Arunachal Pradesh government must fully cooperate, providing all relevant records within four weeks and appointing nodal officers.
The state chief secretary was directed to designate a nodal officer within one week, with departments following suit to liaise with the CBI.
