Pawan Khera vs Assam CM's wife in Supreme Court after HC denies pre-arrest bail

Congress leader Pawan Khera has moved the Supreme Court after the Gauhati High Court denied him anticipatory bail in a case linked to his allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife.

Khera filed a Special Leave Petition before the apex court on Sunday, seeking protection from arrest and challenging the High Court’s order. The plea relates to an FIR registered over his remarks targeting the Chief Minister’s wife.

The Congress leader approached the Supreme Court soon after the Gauhati High Court refused relief. The matter is expected to come up for hearing shortly.

CASE AND FIR

The FIR was filed after Khera made allegations against Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of the Assam Chief Minister, triggering a political row.

He had alleged during press conferences in New Delhi and Guwahati on April 5 that she possessed multiple passports, including from UAE, Egypt and Antigua and Barbuda, and owned properties in Dubai along with assets linked to shell companies.

Following these remarks, criminal cases were filed against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch police station under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to cheating, forgery, defamation and intentional insult.

LEGAL TRAIL

Assam Police visited Khera’s residence in Delhi on April 7, but he was not present. He then moved the Telangana High Court, which granted him transit anticipatory bail for seven days.

The Assam Police challenged this before the Supreme Court. On April 15, the apex court stayed the Telangana High Court’s order.

The Supreme Court said that if Khera sought anticipatory bail in a court in Assam, its interim order would not affect the consideration of his plea.

Khera later sought to vacate the stay on his transit anticipatory bail, but the court declined and asked him to approach the Gauhati High Court.

HC SETBACK, FRESH MOVE

Khera subsequently moved the Gauhati High Court for anticipatory bail, but his plea was rejected, prompting his latest move to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, a local court in Guwahati refused Assam Police’s request for a non-bailable warrant against him. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup Metro, said the grounds cited by the investigating officer were “entirely based on presumptions and conjectures and are not supported by any material on record”.

With the Special Leave Petition now before the Supreme Court, Khera is seeking urgent intervention to avoid arrest. The outcome of the hearing could shape the next course in the politically sensitive case.