New Delhi, April 15: The Supreme Court will hear the Assam government’s petition on Wednesday, challenging the interim relief granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera by the Telangana High Court. This relief pertains to alleged defamatory comments made against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuiyan Sarma.
According to the case list published on the Supreme Court’s official website, the matter is scheduled before a bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar.
The Assam government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, contesting the Telangana High Court’s order from April 10, which granted Khera transit anticipatory bail for one week.
The Telangana High Court had provided Khera with interim protection, allowing him to file a petition for regular bail in the competent court regarding the FIR registered by Assam Police.
In granting relief, Justice K. Sujatha’s single bench directed that Khera should be released on anticipatory bail for one week in the event of arrest. Khera had approached the Telangana High Court for anticipatory bail after Assam Police filed a case against him for allegedly making defamatory and malicious allegations against Riniki Bhuiyan Sarma.
During the hearing in the Telangana High Court, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Khera, argued that the FIR was a result of political vendetta, claiming that the Congress leader was being targeted for questioning the Assam Chief Minister and his family.
He contended that these allegations would fall within the realm of defamation and should not warrant arrest.
Opposing the petition, Assam’s Advocate General Devjit Saikia questioned the maintainability of the petition before the Telangana High Court, arguing that Khera, being a resident of Delhi, had no solid grounds for seeking relief outside Assam.
Assam Police has registered a case against Khera under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including defamation, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. These allegations involve claims about Riniki Bhuiyan Sarma possessing multiple foreign passports, undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai, and fake companies in the United States.
This controversy has sparked a sharp political clash between the BJP and Congress ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, with Congress accusing the government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma of using the police machinery to silence political opponents in support of Khera.
Senior Congress leaders have defended Khera, asserting that instead of initiating criminal action, the Assam Chief Minister and his family should respond to the allegations leveled against them.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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