The Supreme Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct an inquiry into allegations of misconduct regarding the awarding of public contracts to Chief Minister Pema Khandu. The Supreme Court also required that a preliminary inquiry begin within two weeks and that it include all contracts awarded between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2025. The inquiry alleges that work orders issued to businesses providing services to the government were issued to businesses related to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, an allegation that raises significant concerns over accountability and integrity within the system.
Who is Pema Khandu: The leader at the centre of the case
Pema Khandu is an experienced politician with the BJP and has served as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh since 2016. He was one of the youngest individuals in Indian history to serve as Chief Minister of a State when he took office, representing the Mukto Assembly Constituency of Arunachal Pradesh, and is from a politically connected family in the State. His father, Dorjee Khandu, was also previously a Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
For most of his career, Pema Khandu has built a reputation as a grassroots leader in the North East of India, focusing on initiatives to improve infrastructure, transportation and access to essential services by promoting the development of rural areas and the design and construction of public transport systems. The public outrage regarding how Pema Khandu’s government has awarded public contracts during his tenure is being subjected to intense scrutiny.
Pema Khandu: Allegations involving businesses associated with his relatives
The Supreme Court ordered that a public-interest litigation that claimed to have received a disproportionate amount of government contracts from businesses related to Pema Khandu and his family members be reviewed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), with the CBI permitted to analyze all government contracts linked to his wife, Rinchin Drema (Khandu’s father’s second wife), and his nephew.
According to the allegations in the original public-interest litigation filed before the Supreme Court, the aforementioned firms have received “thousands of crores of Rupees of government contracts”. The Supreme Court also expressed concern regarding the conduct of the tendering process and whether or not there was any lack of transparency in relation to how government contracts were awarded.
Pema Khandu matter: CBI given great authority in the investigation ordered by the Supreme Court
In this regard, the Supreme Court allowed the CBI free hand to conduct an investigation that is greater than that requested in the original public-interest litigation, as the CBI now has the ability to investigate “beneficial ownership” of the businesses; pursue criminal sources of funds connected to those businesses; and investigate the payment of moneys in connection with these government contracts.
The court clarified that the investigation would not be limited to one district. When the state argued that the issue was primarily about Tawang, the court said: “Where do you get the idea that this petition relates only to Tawang? It pertains to the whole state.” This means that the scope of the investigation could be broader than anticipated.
Pema Khandu case: Court observations and key numbers
The Supreme Court made a strong statement during the hearing, “The coincidence is remarkable that in a state, work orders and tenders are given to family members in huge numbers.” This was indicative of the seriousness with which the Supreme Court is treating the allegations.
Prior evidence presented at court indicated that there are 154 of the 300 contracts awarded to firms associated with the chief minister’s family in Tawang district in the last ten years. In total, Rs 1,270 crores of contracts may have been awarded to firms associated with the family over a period of ten years.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
