Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera suffered another legal setback on Friday after the Gauhati High Court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail in a case filed over allegations against the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The order was delivered by Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia, who had reserved the verdict earlier this week after hearing arguments from both sides. The case stems from a complaint lodged by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, who accused Khera of making defamatory and false claims about her.
The controversy began when Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possessed multiple passports and was running business operations across several countries. These claims quickly sparked a political storm, drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and leading to a formal police complaint in Assam on April 6.
Following the complaint, Assam Police registered a case against Khera. He, in turn, approached the Telangana High Court seeking anticipatory bail, citing his residential address in Hyderabad and arguing that the FIR was politically motivated. The High Court initially granted him interim relief on April 10.
However, the relief proved short-lived. The Supreme Court of India later stayed the Telangana High Court’s order and directed Khera to approach the appropriate court in Assam for anticipatory bail.
In its order, the apex court clarified that neither it nor the Telangana High Court would influence the Assam court’s decision. It emphasized that the competent court must independently assess the bail plea without being guided by previous interim orders.
The Supreme Court’s intervention provided political ammunition to the BJP, which launched a strong attack on the Congress leader. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the documents cited by Khera to support his claims were “forged, fake, photoshopped, AI-generated,” asserting that the truth had been exposed quickly.
The BJP further described Khera’s allegations as “baseless” and “politically motivated,” accusing him of running a targeted campaign against the Assam Chief Minister and his family.
With the Gauhati High Court now rejecting his anticipatory bail plea, Khera faces increased legal pressure in the case. The decision means he could be subject to arrest as the investigation proceeds, unless he secures relief from a higher court.
The development also adds another layer to the ongoing political tussle between the Congress and the BJP, particularly in Assam, where the issue has taken on both legal and political dimensions.
As the matter progresses, all eyes will be on whether Khera challenges the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court and how the case unfolds in the coming days.
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