SC issues notice on plea for SIT probe in award of contracts to Arunachal CM’s Family
Arunachal CM Pema Khandu
Itanagar, Jan 29: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to issue a notice in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged irregular allotment of public contracts to companies owned by relatives of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was apprised of a pending Special Leave Petition (SLP) related to the purported arbitrary allotment of public work contracts to the chief minister's family.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, pointed out a similar SLP related to the chief minister's father, Dorjee Khandu, which is awaiting resolution before Justices Anirudha Bose and Bela Trivedi.
Dorjee Khandu had faced accusations of awarding significant public works contracts to his family companies.
Bhushan noted, "In that matter, there was an IA bringing out these contracts also before the court, which happened subsequent to the earlier proceeding, with hundreds of contracts being given to the family members of the present Chief Minister. In October, they had asked the CAG about the rules regarding giving contracts to family members, etc. The CAG had provided a note."
The petition alleges irregularities in awarding crucial tenders to close associates of Pema Khandu, including the construction company 'M/s Brand Eagles,' owned by his spouse. Furthermore, Pema's nephew, Tsering Tashi, an MLA from Tawang owning M/s Alliance Trading Co., has reportedly received work contracts without adhering to due procedure.
The petition seeks an investigation into the matter, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations, the bench issued notice in the writ petition with the liberty to serve the standing counsel of the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Following a review of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, the court has scheduled the matter for reevaluation on February 14.
