New Delhi, April 25: The Congress Party is preparing to challenge the Guwahati High Court’s rejection of Congress leader Pawan Khera’s anticipatory bail plea in the Supreme Court. Khera had accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan, of holding multiple passports. Following this, Riniki filed an FIR against Khera. To avoid arrest in this matter, Khera had filed for anticipatory bail, which was denied on April 24.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh expressed solidarity with Khera through a post on ‘X’, stating, “The Indian National Congress stands firmly with our media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera. We are challenging the Guwahati High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court. We believe that justice will prevail over threats, intimidation, and politics of harassment.”
It is noteworthy that a single-judge bench of the Guwahati High Court, led by Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia, reserved its decision on April 21 after detailed arguments from both sides. During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Khera, argued that the case is politically motivated and stems from the Chief Minister’s alleged statements. He raised concerns about the fairness of the environment surrounding the case, especially with upcoming elections in mind. Singhvi asserted that there is no risk of Khera fleeing and questioned the necessity of custodial interrogation, suggesting that the allegations may fall under the realm of criminal defamation.
Senior lawyer Kamal Nayan Chaudhary supported these arguments, labeling the allegations as “defamatory” and claiming they were fabricated with “malicious intent.” He argued that the nature of the accusations does not justify the application of serious penal provisions and could be resolved through a private complaint.
Opposing the plea, Assam’s Advocate General Devjeet Loon Saikia contended that the matter is far more serious than defamation. He stated that the case involves serious crimes such as fraud and forgery, including alleged manipulation of documents and ownership deeds, necessitating custodial investigation.
The procedural background of this case is complex. Previously, the Telangana High Court granted Khera a week’s anticipatory bail on April 10, allowing him to approach the appropriate court. However, after Assam police challenged this order, the Supreme Court stayed the relief on April 15. Subsequently, the Supreme Court dismissed Khera’s plea to lift the stay and also denied interim protection.
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