Supreme Court Summons Arunachal Chief Secretary, Home Secretary Over Alleged Non-Cooperation In CBI Probe Against CM Pema Khandu
· Free Press Journal
The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from Arunachal Pradesh's Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged that the state government was not cooperating with its probe involving Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
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A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed both senior officials to personally appear before the court on Aug 24 with their responses. The development puts the state government's handling of the investigation under scrutiny after the CBI flagged difficulties in obtaining records, Bar & Bench reports.
CBI Flags Trouble Accessing Records
The Bench was considering a status report filed by the CBI following the Supreme Court's April order directing a probe into allegations of favouritism in the allotment of public works contracts involving Khandu.
After examining the report, the court noted that the investigating agency had complained of difficulties in securing records from the state government.
"The status report submitted on behalf of CBI dated July 17. A perusal of the same reflects that there is non cooperation on behalf of the state government with respect to furnishing records. We deem it appropriate to issue notice to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home)," the court said.
The Bench also asked the two officials to explain the alleged failure to cooperate with the CBI and comply with the Supreme Court's directions.
"Both the aforesaid officers shall remain present before this court along with their response to the aforementioned report of the CBI and also explain as to why there is non cooperation and non compliance of the directions of this court," the court ordered.
The direction requiring two senior state officials to appear personally is significant because the Supreme Court had specifically instructed the Arunachal Pradesh government to fully cooperate with the central agency.
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PIL Put Contracts Under Scanner
The case stems from a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Save Mon Region Federation, which sought a CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into allegations that public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh were awarded to firms linked to Khandu's family members and close associates.
The petitioner alleged that Arunachal Pradesh was being run like a private company by the Chief Minister.
According to the petitioners, development projects worth approximately ₹1,245 crore were allotted through tenders, while another ₹25 crore was issued through work orders.
The petition specifically named M/s Brand Eagles, stated to be owned by Khandu's wife, and M/s Alliance Trading Co, stated to be owned by his nephew and MLA Tsering Tashi. The petitioners alleged that contracts were awarded despite conflicts of interest and in violation of anti-corruption norms.
Supreme Court Had Ordered CBI Enquiry
In March 2025, the Supreme Court asked the Union Ministry of Finance and Union Ministry of Home Affairs to file a report and clarify their position on the allegations.
US Military Seeks 'Creative, Unconventional' Ways To Pressure Iran As Trump Weighs Next MoveOn April 6, 2026, the court directed the CBI to initiate a preliminary enquiry within two weeks. It said that, if warranted, the agency could investigate public works contracts and work orders executed between Jan 1, 2015, and Dec 31, 2025.
The court also directed the Arunachal Pradesh government to extend full cooperation to the CBI, appoint a nodal officer for coordination and ensure that no records were destroyed.
The latest order now brings the question of compliance with those directions directly before the Supreme Court, with the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) required to explain the state's position on Aug 24.