New Delhi, September 9: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union government to submit its reply within three weeks to a public interest litigation (PIL) that accuses Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu of favouring his family members in awarding government contracts.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that while the state government had already filed its affidavit in line with an earlier March 18 directive, the Centre had failed to do so. Rejecting technical objections raised by the Centre’s counsel, the bench said, “This court had given you a direction. File the affidavit. Don’t tell us all these technicalities.”

The PIL, filed by NGOs Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa through advocate Prashant Bhushan, alleges that Khandu is “running the state like his private limited company” by awarding major government contracts to firms linked to his family. Citing findings from a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, the petition claims contracts were disproportionately granted to relatives, including Khandu’s stepmother Rinchin Drema and nephew Tsering Tashi. It specifically names Drema’s firm, Brand Eagles, as having received a large number of contracts in violation of conflict-of-interest rules.

While counsel for the Arunachal government dismissed the allegations as “sponsored litigation” and insisted the petitioners were “digging out skeletons from the cupboard when none exists,” the Supreme Court noted that the matter warranted detailed examination.

The bench has now given the Union of India three weeks to file its affidavit and directed that the Centre’s reply should also respond to the state’s affidavit as well as the CAG’s observations. The petitioners have been allowed to file rejoinders once the Centre’s affidavit is submitted. The case will be taken up for hearing after three weeks.