NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the CBI probe ordered by the Gauhati High Court against Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki into corruption allegations related to his tenure as PWD Minister in 2006.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) H L Dattu also issued notice to the CBI and others on the Chief Minister’s plea against the August 21 order of the High Court.
Tuki is alleged to have influenced the Arunachal Pradesh government to give some contractual works to his relatives while he was PWD minister in 2006.
“Majority of the said contracts were of Kendriya Vidyalayas of Government of India at Shillong, Kolkata and Rohtak, Haryana and another one was house keeping in newly constructed Arunachal House in Delhi and two other small contracts in the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh,” the petition said while listing out the allegations against Tuki. The CM has alleged that the High Court acted in a great haste and got all the PILs transferred from Itanagar Bench to principal Bench at Guwahati.
“The present SLP raises important questions as to whether the High Court without hearing the parties should have passed an order ordering a CBI enquiry into various 10-year-old contracts, which have already been completed,” the petition said.
Earlier on August 21, the HC had ordered the CBI to register a case in this matter after it found that Tuki had abused his official position as a minister in awarding contracts to his wife, sister-in- law, brother and other kin without calling tenders.
The court had directed the CBI to conduct a probe against Tuki, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, New Delhi, and Director of Sports Council, Arunachal Pradesh.
Hearing on Places of Worship Resumes
The Supreme Court on Wednesday resumed a crucial hearing to decide whether the courts could command the State to fund the restoration of places of worship damaged due to its failure to maintain law and order, an issue that came into focus after the destruction of such structures during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
“Can we command the state to construct the places of worship or religious structures damaged because the state failed to maintain the law and order situation,” asked the bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Panth.
The SC Bench further asked “whether a body collective, running places of worship like temple, church, mosque, gurdwara or math, can seek damage and compensation because the state has failed to maintain law and order leading to their damage.”
The Bench was hearing a petition filed by Gujarat.