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The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, Arunachal Pradesh government and others on a PIL seeking a CBI or SIT probe into the award of contracts for public works to firms owned by family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra sought a response from the Union of India, the state government, CBI, Khandu and others. The order of the apex court came on a plea filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Sena. Pema Khandu's father Dorjee Khandu's second wife Rinchin Drema and his nephew Tsering Tashi have been made parties in the case. In a helicopter crash in 2011, Dorjee Khandu died when he was the Chief Minister. Rinchin Drema's firm, Brand Eagles, has been awarded a large number of government contracts despite there being a clear conflict of interest, the petitioner claimed. The PIL claimed when there is evidence of government contracts being awarded only to the firms of family members of the Chief Minister and his close associates, then it is reasonable to draw an inference that such favour for government contract works of vast magnitude could not have been possible without direct knowledge, consent, and active support of the minister concerned. The petition stated, "The Minister of this department was Dorjee Khandu, also former CM, till 2011 and then the charge was taken up by his son Pema Khandu, now present Chief Minister. It is a serious cause of concern in view of so many work orders executed by few selective firms belonging to the Minister himself and his family members." (ANI)
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