SC flags ‘remarkable coincidence’ of contracts to Arunachal CM’s family, seeks detailed affidavit

The Supreme Court took note of allegations that public contracts in Arunachal Pradesh were disproportionately awarded to firms owned by relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu. 

Reviewing a petition that has raised the issue, the bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the claims involve “high functionaries” and a “considerable number” of work orders favouring companies linked to the Chief Minister’s family.

The court described it as a “remarkable coincidence” that tenders and contracts across the state were repeatedly allotted to firms belonging to Khandu’s relatives. 
Observing that the state government did not dispute ownership of these companies, the bench underlined that the volume of contracts warranted deeper scrutiny.

The matter has been adjourned to February, with the court directing the Arunachal Pradesh government to file a comprehensive affidavit. The affidavit must list all contracts awarded between 2015 and 2025 to Khandu, his family members, or their firms across every district. The bench said it would later assess whether a formal enquiry would be required.

Earlier, in March, the Supreme Court had issued notice on a plea seeking a probe into contract allocations favouring the Chief Minister’s relatives. It had also asked the state to provide a consolidated report identifying all individuals and entities mentioned in the petition who benefited from government work orders.

During the hearing, the bench also referred to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report but remarked that it was “neither here nor there,” emphasising instead the need for clear statements from the relevant ministries to be placed on record.

The court’s observations have brought sharp focus to questions of transparency and accountability in public spending in Arunachal Pradesh, with its February hearing expected to determine further steps.