The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard a petition alleging large-scale irregularities in the award of government contracts to firms allegedly owned by or linked to the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh and his close relatives. The petitioners sought a court-monitored CBI probe into what they termed a “clear conflict of influence” in the grant of tenders.
Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that four firms directly related to the Chief Minister, his wife, mother and brother had been awarded contracts worth ₹1,245 crore over the past decade. Referring to a tabulated summary placed on record, he stated:
“Out of the total contracts awarded in the State in the last 10 years, ₹1,245 crore has gone to these four firms.”
The petitioners further alleged that several works were awarded without tender through “work orders”, including in periods when such a mechanism was allegedly impermissible under State rules. It was also contended that existing rules restricted the number of works that could be held by a single firm at a given time.
Mr. Bhushan argued that the firms did not disclose their connection to the Chief Minister at the time of bidding: “Whether they disclosed to the department that they are directly or indirectly owned by Respondents 4 to 6, that needs to be investigated.”
Referring to a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report dated July 21, 2025, counsel submitted that the findings reinforced the need for an independent probe. He urged that the investigation be entrusted to the CBI, contending:
“State police will not be able to investigate this when you have a Chief Minister. The CBI is the right organisation to investigate this.”
The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice N.V. Anjaria, however, indicated that certain submissions were not part of the pleadings and asked counsel to confine arguments to the record. The Bench permitted the petitioner to file written submissions within 2 weeks.
The matter will now proceed after written submissions are placed on record.
Appearances
Sr adv. Prashant Bhushan
Adv Anil Shrivastav (for R-1), Adv Mukesh Kumar Maroria (for R-3)
Advs Gurmeet Singh Makker and Amrish Kumar (Impleader)