The Telangana High Court on Friday granted Congress leader and spokesperson Pawan Khera a week’s anticipatory bail in an FIR-related case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, over allegations that she holds multiple passports.
Judge K. said: Sujana, while pronouncing the order, said, “The petitioner is given time of one week to file an application before the relevant court… Relief is granted to the petitioner for a period of one week, subject to conditions,” Live Law reported.
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An FIR has been registered against Khaira at Guwahati Crime Branch police station, under Sections 175 (false statement in relation to elections), 35, 36, 318 (cheating), 338, (forgery of valuable will, security etc.), 337 (forgery of court register or public register, etc.), 340 (forging document or electronic record and using it as fact), 352 (intentional insult with intent). for provoking a breach of the peace), 356 (defamation) of the BNS.
The Congress leader had on April 5 alleged that Assam Chief Minister Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s wife has multiple passports and foreign properties, which were not declared in the chief minister’s election affidavit. Sarma responded to Congress because it “did not verify” the documents on which it based the accusations against him and his family.
Khaira filed an anticipatory bail petition in Hyderabad, where he resides. Devajit Saikia, who represents the Assam Police in the Supreme Court, said Khaira posed a “flight risk”, alleging that he evaded police by flying from Delhi to Hyderabad when officers arrived at his residence in Delhi, according to a report by Live Law.
He also challenged the maintainability of the petition in Hyderabad, asking why Khera was served there without explaining why he could not approach a court in Assam or elsewhere in the country.
Appearing for Khaira, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior lawyer, said the motive behind the criminal proceedings was political vendetta.
