Guwahati, Apr 21: The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea filed by Congress leader Pawan Khera in connection with an FIR lodged by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, over allegations relating to multiple passports and undisclosed overseas assets.
A bench of Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia reserved its verdict after hearing both sides at length.
Khera was represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi along with K.N. Choudhury, while the State of Assam was represented by Advocate General Devajit Saikia before Justice P.J. Saikia. The hearing lasted nearly three hours.
Senior counsel K.N. Choudhury reiterated Singhvi’s submissions, describing the allegations against Khera as “scandalous.” “The manner, tenor, and packaging of the allegations unmistakably show that they were made with deliberate malice,” he submitted.
Khera, chairman of the AICC’s media and publicity department, had alleged in two press conferences held in New Delhi and Guwahati on April 5 that the Chief Minister’s wife possessed three passports — of the UAE, Egypt, and Antigua and Barbuda — along with two properties in Dubai and assets in shell companies.
Following these allegations, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma filed criminal cases against Khera and others at the Guwahati5 Crime Branch police station the next day under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provisions related to false statements in connection with an election, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, intentional insult, and defamation.
Opposing the bail plea, Advocate General Devajit Saikia argued that the case goes beyond simple defamation, as it involves the alleged fabrication of documents and title deeds. He submitted that the dominant offences in the case are cheating and forgery.
It may be noted that the Telangana High Court had, on April 10, granted Khera one week of transit anticipatory bail and permitted him to approach the appropriate court. The plea was filed in Hyderabad, where Khera is stated to have a residence.
Subsequently, Assam Police moved the Supreme Court of India against the order. On April 15, the apex court, in an interim order, stayed the grant of transit anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court.
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