In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to initiate a preliminary enquiry into the allocation of public works contracts in Arunachal Pradesh that are alleged to be linked to relatives of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

The order was issued by a bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, which instructed the CBI to begin its initial probe within two weeks. The investigation will examine how contracts and work orders were awarded and executed over a ten-year period, from 2015 to 2025.

The court has also asked the agency to submit a status update within 16 weeks, indicating that the matter will be closely monitored as it progresses. The detailed judgment is expected to be released later.

The case stems from allegations that several government contracts worth over ₹1,200 crore were awarded to companies reportedly connected to members of the Chief Minister’s family. Petitioners argued that this raised serious concerns about conflict of interest and transparency in the awarding process.

During earlier hearings, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, pointed to official records and affidavits to support claims that firms linked to the family had secured multiple contracts over the years.

On the other hand, the state government maintained that the petition was politically motivated and denied any wrongdoing. It had earlier been directed by the court to provide detailed information on all contracts awarded during the period under scrutiny.

The Chief Minister has been named as a respondent in the case, along with other family members whose firms are under question. The matter has now moved into the investigation phase, with the CBI expected to verify the allegations and determine whether further legal action is required.

This development marks a crucial step in the legal scrutiny of public contract allocations in the state, with the outcome likely to have wider political and administrative implications.