Pawan Khera granted 1-week anticipatory bail in case filed by Assam CM's wife

During a press conference, Congress Pawan Khera alleged that Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the Chief Minister's election affidavit.

In Short

• Court allows Pawan Khera time to approach proper forum for bail
• Case linked to Khera's allegations against Assam CM's wife
• Khera's counsel calls case harassment and politically motivated

The Telangana High Court on Friday granted a one-week anticipatory bail to senior Congress leader Pawan Khera in connection with a case registered against him in Assam over his allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

A bench of Justice K Sujana allowed Khera time to approach the appropriate forum for anticipatory bail, noting that he could move within a week. The court, however, declined a request by Khera's counsel for more time, observing that the Congress leader had already acted swiftly in moving the court and was "not an ordinary person".

"The petitioner (Khera) is granted time for one week to file an application before the concerned court," Justice K Sujana said in her order.

The relief came a day after the court had reserved its order on Khera's transit anticipatory bail plea, following a heated hearing marked by arguments over alleged political vendetta, jurisdiction, and misuse of legal provisions.

Khera, who heads the Congress's media and publicity department, had approached the Telangana High Court citing his residential address in Hyderabad.

During the bail hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi described Khera as a law-abiding citizen with no criminal antecedents and assured the court of full cooperation with the investigation. He also termed the case against him as nothing but 'harassment'.

"Are we living in the wild west where, for a complaint like this, you have to arrest me? In the FIR, every imaginable offence is listed. The allegation is that I held a press conference and I made defamatory statements against you. Just to harass me you have added every offence that can be imagined," Bar and Bench quoted Singhvi as saying.

The case stemmed from remarks made by Khera at a press conference on April 5, where he alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma held multiple passports and owned foreign assets that were not disclosed in the Chief Minister's election affidavit.

The allegations were strongly denied by the Sarma family, who termed them "false, fabricated and malicious".

Following a complaint by the Chief Minister's wife, Assam Police registered a case against Khera at the Guwahati Crime Branch under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to false statements in connection with elections and cheating.

An Assam Police team had earlier visited Khera's Delhi residence for questioning but did not find him there. Officials said a search was conducted and 'incriminating' material was also recovered from the Congress leader's house.

Meanwhile, Himanta Biswa Sarma had also hit out at the Congress, accusing it of failing to verify documents before making allegations. He claimed Khera had "run away" to Hyderabad and asserted that the Assam Police would pursue the case relentlessly.

"Do you not know the Assam Police? Pataal se bhi khod ke le aayegi (we will drag him out even from the depths of the netherworld). Where is Pawan Khera hiding? I don't know why they went, as he had already run away yesterday. Till yesterday, Khera was saying 'arrest me', and now when the police reached his home, he ran away, Sarma had said.

- Ends