Guwahati: In a major setback for Congress leader and spokesperson Pawan Khera, the Gauhati High Court, on Friday, turned down his request for anticipatory bail in a criminal case registered against him by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Supreme Court had earlier set aside interim relief granted to Khera by the Telangana High Court, asking him to approach the Gauhati High Court for anticipatory bail.
The matter started after Khera, chairman of the Congress’s media and publicity department, alleged that Riniki held multiple passports and undisclosed overseas assets.
She possesses three passports of the UAE, Egypt and Antigua-Barbuda, two properties in Dubai and assets in shell companies, the Congress leader had alleged in a press conference just days before the Assembly polls were held in Assam on April 9, as reported by NDTV.
Riniki then lodged a criminal case against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch police station under sections pertaining to cheating, defamation, the forgery of valuable will and electronic record, and intentional insult.
The Assam Police visited Khera’s Delhi residence on April 7, but did not find him there. He approached the Telangana High Court on April 10 for transit anticipatory bail and secured interim protection for a week.
The Assam Police then moved the Supreme Court against the Telangana High Court’s order. On April 15, the top court, in an interim order, stayed the grant of anticipatory transit bail.
The SC, however, granted Khera permission to apply for anticipatory bail before a court having jurisdiction in Assam.
When the Congress leader approached the Supreme Court again, praying for vacation of the stay on the anticipatory transit bail, the appeal was turned down. He was asked by the Apex court to approach the Gauhati High Court.
Khera did so and the High Court heard both sides for nearly three hours on Tuesday, before reserving its order.
On Friday, it turned down Khera’s plea. The Court held that custodial interrogation of Khera is necessary to ascertain who provided him with false documents against Riniki, who has nothing to do with politics.
