The Supreme Court of India on Friday granted anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in connection with a case regarding the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.
During the hearing, the apex court observed that both the allegations made by Khera and the case filed against him appeared to be outcomes of political rivalry.
While granting relief, the court directed Khera to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation in the case.
The case was registered in Guwahati following allegations made by the Congress leader against the Assam Chief Minister’s wife, leading to charges including defamation and forgery.
A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.S. Chandurkar had earlier reserved its order on Thursday after hearing arguments from both sides.
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Pawan Khera on Wednesday told the Supreme Court of India that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was acting like a “constitutional cowboy” or “Rambo” in his alleged remarks against him in connection with the criminal case.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, argued that the allegations were a matter of trial and did not warrant arrest.
He submitted that several sections invoked in the case were bailable, while others did not require custodial interrogation. Singhvi also contended that denying anticipatory bail would defeat the very purpose of pre-arrest protection, PTI reported.
Opposing the plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Assam government, alleged that Khera had circulated “fake and doctored” passport copies of the Chief Minister’s wife and made false claims regarding her citizenship.
He further argued that Khera had been evading authorities while continuing to make public statements.
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The case stems from allegations made by Khera that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma possessed multiple passports and undisclosed properties abroad. Following these claims, Sharma filed criminal complaints against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Khera had challenged an April 24 order of the Gauhati High Court denying him anticipatory bail.
Earlier, the Telangana High Court had granted him a seven-day transit anticipatory bail. However, the Assam Police approached the Supreme Court, which stayed that relief and directed Khera to seek remedy before the Gauhati High Court.
