Supreme Court Orders CBI Preliminary Inquiry Into Allotment Of Contracts To Arunachal CM Prema Khandu’s Kin
On April 6, 2026, the Supreme Court of India ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of irregular public contract allotments by the Arunachal Pradesh government to companies linked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s relatives.
Court Directives
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria directed the CBI to probe contracts from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2025, with flexibility to extend the period if needed. The CBI must submit a report within 16 weeks on whether a full investigation is warranted, while the state must provide all records within four weeks and appoint a nodal officer.
Petition Details
The PIL, filed by Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa (argued by Sr. Adv. Prashant Bhushan), claims contracts worth Rs 1,270 crore went to firms tied to Khandu’s spouse (M/s Brand Eagles), nephew (M/s Alliance Trading Co.), mother, and others without due process. This follows a prior CAG report on similar issues involving Khandu’s father.
Background Timeline
The court reserved orders in February 2026 after hearing claims of favoritism spanning 10 years. The Ministry of Home Affairs Code of Conduct bars ministers from favoring relatives, as noted in earlier proceedings.
