Why Arunachal CM remains in office despite SC-ordered CBI probe: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday questioned why Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu continues in office despite the Supreme Court of India directing the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a preliminary inquiry into corruption allegations linked to contracts allegedly awarded to firms connected to his family.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the chief minister’s continuation in office amounted to a “gross travesty” of the Supreme Court’s order, particularly as he also holds the Public Works Department portfolio and oversees records that could be relevant to the investigation.

In a post on X, Ramesh recalled that a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on 6 April directed the CBI to initiate a preliminary inquiry into allegations that firms allegedly owned by or linked to members of Khandu’s family secured contracts worth about Rs 1,270 crore between January 2015 and December 2025, raising questions of conflict of interest.

“This is not an order of a lower court or a High Court. It is of the Supreme Court. Yet the CM continues in office. He is also the PWD Minister and controls the files that the CBI will need to conduct its inquiry,” Ramesh said.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader asked why the chief minister had not been asked to step down pending the inquiry.

“Why is the man who once said ‘na khaoonga, na khaane doonga’ quiet and why has the Arunachal Pradesh CM not been asked to step down? This is a gross travesty of the Supreme Court’s verdict itself,” he said.

“Why is the man who once said ‘na khaoonga, na khaane doonga’ quiet and why has the Arunachal Pradesh CM not been asked to step down? This is a gross travesty of the Supreme Court’s verdict itself,” he said.

Ramesh further claimed that there were other BJP chief ministers who also fell into a similar category, without naming anyone.

The controversy stems from the Supreme Court’s 6 April order directing the CBI to register a preliminary inquiry within two weeks into allegations of preferential allotment of public works contracts to companies allegedly owned by or connected to members of Khandu’s family.

Observing that state authorities could not distribute public benefits according to the “whims” of political or administrative functionaries, the bench led by Justice Vikram Nath said the matter warranted an independent investigation.

The court had also emphasised that cases involving public procurement and allegations of conflict of interest at the highest levels required a probe that was not only fair but also seen to be fair.