Congress leader Pawan Khera has approached the Supreme Court against Gauhati High Court’s rejection of his anticipatory bail plea in connection with an FIR filed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, over his allegations related to her holding multiple passports and properties abroad. The SC, however, is yet to assign his bail petition to a bench for hearing and therefore the matter is not yet listed.
Vide the impugned order, the Gauhati High Court had denied Khera anticipatory bail, observing that he dragged an “innocent lady” into the controversy to gain political mileage. Prior to that, the Telangana High Court, on April 10, granted one week transit anticipatory bail to Khera and permitted him to move before the concerned court. The anticipatory bail was filed in Hyderabad, where Khera was stated to have a residence.
Assam Police thereafter moved the Supreme Court against this order, and on April 15, the top Court stayed the grant of transit anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court. The bench said that if Khera applies for anticipatory bail in the court having jurisdiction in Assam, then the interim order passed by the Supreme Court will not have any adverse effect on the consideration of such an application.