Overview
- Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said minuscule gaps between rival bids suggest possible cartelisation and called the statistics "telling."
- After the state first filed data limited to Tawang, the court ordered a comprehensive affidavit covering all districts for 2015–2025 and listed the case for February 3.
- The bench noted the state's own affidavit shows work orders and tenders to firms linked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu's relatives, a fact it said was not disputed.
- Figures cited in court varied, with petitioners pointing to 31 contracts worth ₹188 crore plus ₹2.61 crore via work orders in Tawang, while another report said 154 of 300 contracts went to family-linked firms, highlighting data gaps.
- Petitioners seek a CBI probe citing procurement-rule violations flagged earlier by the CAG, as the state defends open tenders and a policy allowing sub-₹50 lakh work orders without formal bidding.