The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary and the home principal secretary, directing them to appear before the court, following the CBI’s allegation that the Arunachal Pradesh government was not cooperating with its preliminary enquiry into allegations of the preferential award of government contracts to firms linked to the family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

Both officers have been directed to personally appear before the court on 24 August, and have been asked to explain the alleged non-cooperation and non-compliance with the court’s earlier directions.

The matter is based on petitions filed by the Save Mon Region Federation and the Voluntary Arunachal Sena. On 6 April, the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to register a preliminary enquiry within two weeks.

During the hearing, the court was informed that government contracts and work orders worth around Rs 1,270 crore had been awarded over the past 10 years to four firms allegedly linked to the chief minister’s family. The Supreme Court has directed that the preliminary enquiry cover the award and execution of public works contracts from 1 January, 2015, to 31 December, 2025.

If the government has nothing to hide, the officers should cooperate with the investigation, instead of delaying the process. It is not merely a government office that is under investigation, but the office of the chief minister.

Notwithstanding the huge amount involved, the responsibility of the officers is to ensure that the investigation proceeds smoothly, and that all the necessary documents are submitted as sought, so that the enquiry can reach a logical conclusion. The CBI’s allegation of non-cooperation sends a disturbing message that the highest court of the country can be disregarded by failing to cooperate with an agency it has entrusted with the investigation.