New Delhi, April 14: The Supreme Court will hear a plea from the Assam government on Wednesday, challenging the interim relief granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera by the Telangana High Court. This case is linked to a criminal complaint against Khera for allegedly making defamatory remarks about Rinki Bhuyan Sarma, the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
According to the cause list published on the Supreme Court’s official website, the matter is scheduled for April 15 before a bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar.
The Assam government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) contesting the Telangana High Court’s order from April 10, which granted Khera transit anticipatory bail for one week.
The Telangana High Court provided Khera with interim protection, allowing him to approach the appropriate court for regular bail concerning the FIR registered by Assam police.
Justice K. Sujatha’s single-judge bench directed that if Khera were arrested, he should be released on anticipatory bail for one week. Khera sought transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court after Assam police filed a case against him for allegedly making defamatory and malicious allegations against Rinki Bhuyan Sarma.
During the hearing in the Telangana High Court, Khera’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that the FIR was motivated by political vendetta and that Khera was being targeted for questioning the Assam Chief Minister and his family.
He contended that even if the allegations were deemed false, they would fall under the realm of defamation and should not warrant arrest. In contrast, Assam’s Advocate General Devjit Saikia raised questions about the admissibility of the plea in the Telangana High Court, arguing that Khera, being a resident of Delhi, had no solid reason to seek relief outside Assam.
Assam police have registered a case against Khera under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including defamation, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. This action followed Khera’s claims that Rinki Bhuyan Sarma possessed multiple foreign passports, undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai, and shell companies in the United States.
This controversy has intensified political clashes between the BJP and Congress ahead of the Assam Assembly elections. Congress has openly supported Khera, accusing the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government of misusing the police machinery to silence political opponents. Senior Congress leaders emphasized that instead of initiating criminal action, the Chief Minister and his family should respond to the allegations made 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. ✍️📚
Leave a Comment