The Supreme Court of India on Thursday reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea filed by Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case linked to allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.
A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both sides. Appearing for Khera, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi argued that denying anticipatory bail would defeat the very purpose of pre-arrest protection. He said the allegations against Khera are matters for trial and that arrest would amount to unnecessary humiliation, adding that several sections invoked are bailable while others do not require custodial interrogation.
Opposing the plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Assam government, alleged that Khera had presented fake and doctored copies of passports belonging to the Chief Minister’s wife. He further claimed that Khera had been evading authorities while continuing to release videos, and dismissed the allegations regarding multiple citizenships as baseless.
The case stems from allegations that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma possessed multiple passports and undisclosed foreign properties. Khera has challenged an April 24 order of the Gauhati High Court, which denied him anticipatory bail. Following the allegations, Sharma filed criminal complaints against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Earlier, the Telangana High Court had granted Khera a seven-day transit anticipatory bail, but the Assam Police challenged it before the Supreme Court, which stayed the relief and directed him to approach the Gauhati High Court. The apex court’s final decision is now awaited.