New Delhi, August 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) after taking note of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) status report alleging that the state government had not cooperated with a court-monitored preliminary inquiry into alleged irregularities in the award of public works contracts.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta directed the two senior officials to appear personally before the apex court on August 24 along with their responses to the CBI report and explain the alleged non-compliance with earlier directions issued by the court.
The court was hearing a matter arising from a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena, which has alleged irregularities in the awarding of public contracts in Arunachal Pradesh, including contracts allegedly linked to relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
After examining the CBI status report dated July 17, 2026, the bench observed that the report indicated a lack of cooperation from the state government in providing records required under the Supreme Court’s order dated April 6, 2026.
“We have perused the status report submitted on behalf of the Central Bureau of Investigation (C.B.I.) dated 17.07.2026. A perusal of the same reflects that there is no cooperation at the end of the state government in providing the necessary records as was directed vide judgment and order dated 06.04.2026,” the court observed.
The bench said it found it appropriate to issue notices to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home), directing them to remain present and clarify why there was alleged non-cooperation and non-compliance with the court’s directions.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 24.
In April, the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations concerning the award and execution of public works contracts and work orders in Arunachal Pradesh between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2025. The court had clarified that the agency could also examine transactions outside this period if required to trace beneficial ownership, related-party connections, fund flows or other connected circumstances.
The court had directed the CBI to examine procurement procedures, tender approvals, reasons for avoiding open tenders, compliance with statutory requirements, and records related to payments, work orders and project execution.
It had also instructed the Arunachal Pradesh government to extend full cooperation to the inquiry and directed the Chief Secretary to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate with the CBI and ensure the submission of relevant records, including tender documents, administrative approvals, agreements, bills and electronic procurement data.
The apex court had further ordered the preservation of all physical and electronic records connected with the matter, while clarifying that its observations were limited to deciding whether an independent inquiry was required and should not be treated as findings on the merits of the allegations.
The PIL has alleged that public works contracts worth around Rs 1,270 crore were awarded to firms linked to relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, including his spouse and other family members, allegedly in violation of prescribed procedures.
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