SC seeks Centre's reply on PIL alleging Arunachal CM Pema Khandu gave government contracts to kin

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to file its response within three weeks after hearing a PIL alleging Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu awarded contracts to his family members. A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, was informed that the state had already filed its affidavit in terms of the apex court's March 18 order. After being apprised about this, the court sought the Centre's reply within three weeks and posted the matter for further hearing once the response by the UOI was filed. Thetop court was hearing a petition filed by,NGOs, Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa,seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the allegations against Khandu. ThePIL alleged that all the government contracts in the state were being awarded illegally to the CM's close family members. During the hearing on Monday, advocate Prashant Bhushan for the petitioner Save Mon Region Federation argued that the State of Arunachal Pradesh was being run like a private company by the Chief Minister. He alleged that the Union of India, i.e., the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Finance, were directed to file the detailed affidavit. But it has not yet been filed. The UOI hasn't filed any affidavit. In fact, their affidavit should not only be in response to the petition, but it should also be in response to the affidavit filed by the state as well as a report of CAG, he submitted. Bhushan also claimed that all the contracts have been awarded to his wife's and his cousins company. It is a shocking state of affairs. How can it be like this? Rs 100 crores have been looted,he said. Opposing the submissions of Bhushan, the state government sought dismissal of the plea on the ground that it was an abuse of the process of the law. Eventually, the top court granted a final opportunity to the Centre and asked it to file a reply within three weeks