Congress leader Pawan Khera has approached the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, following directions from the Supreme Court of India.
The move comes after the Supreme Court declined to grant him interim protection from arrest and instructed him to seek relief from a competent court in Assam. The apex court also stayed the transit anticipatory bail earlier granted to him by the Telangana High Court and clarified that the Gauhati High Court should decide the matter independently, without being influenced by prior judicial observations.
The case stems from allegations made by Khera against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma. Khera had claimed that she possessed multiple foreign passports and held overseas assets, alleging that such details were not disclosed in election-related filings. He also presented documents which he said indicated that she acquired foreign citizenships between 2021 and 2022.
These claims were strongly denied by both Sarma and his wife, who described them as fabricated and misleading. They alleged that the information was false and possibly generated using manipulated or unreliable sources. Following this, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma filed both criminal and civil defamation cases against Khera.
The charges against Khera include making false statements in connection with an election and cheating. Earlier, he had obtained limited transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court, but that relief was subsequently put on hold by the Supreme Court after a challenge by the Assam government.
During the Supreme Court proceedings, Khera’s counsel argued that he was not a flight risk and sought interim protection to allow him time to approach the appropriate court. However, the bench declined to grant such protection, reiterating that he should seek relief directly in Assam.
In a related development, a local court in Guwahati refused to issue a non-bailable warrant against Khera, noting that the police already have the authority to arrest in cognisable offences and that the request for a warrant lacked sufficient supporting evidence.
With the anticipatory bail plea now before the Gauhati High Court, the case is expected to focus on whether Khera should be granted protection from arrest while the investigation and legal proceedings continue.
