Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera has approached the Telangana High Court seeking anticipatory bail following a criminal case registered against him by the Assam government. The legal move comes after Khera leveled allegations of non-disclosure of assets against Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Khera, who listed a residential address in Hyderabad in his petition, requested the court to grant him protection from arrest. The petition was filed on April 7 and is scheduled to be heard by the court on April 9.
The legal friction began on April 5, when Khera publicly alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possesses multiple passports and undeclared foreign properties. Khera claimed these assets were omitted from Chief Minister Sarma’s mandatory election affidavit.
In response, a case was registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station. The charges against Khera include several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically:
- Section 175: False statement in connection with an election.
- Section 35: Relating to the right of private defense.
- Section 318: Pertaining to cheating.
The Assam Police have already intensified their investigation, with a team recently visiting Khera’s residence in Delhi for questioning. In his bail application, Khera has named the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the Guwahati Crime Branch and the Telangana government as respondents.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has strongly refuted the allegations, criticizing the Congress party for failing to verify documents before making public claims. Speaking on Tuesday, Sarma asserted that while Khera had moved to Hyderabad, the Assam Police remained committed to pursuing the case. “The Assam Police will hunt him down even from ‘pataal’ (the netherworld),” the Chief Minister stated.
The Telangana High Court’s decision on April 9 will be pivotal in determining whether Khera receives temporary immunity from custody as the investigation proceeds in Guwahati.
