Congress' Pawan Khera gets anticipatory bail by Telangana HC in case by Assam CM's wife over passport row
Congress leader Pawan Khera had earlier alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds multiple passports and has assets abroad. Over his allegations, a case was registered by the Assam Police.
Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday received a breather from the Telangana High Court which granted him an anticipatory bail for a week in a case filed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma over allegations related to her holding multiple passports. The order was pronounced by Justice K Sujana, who had heard the Congress leader's plea the day before.
"The petitioner (Khera) is granted time for one week to file an application before concerned court," the court said, as reported by Bar and Bench.
The case against Khera was registered by the Assam Police after he claimed that Bhuyan has multiple passports and undisclosed assets abroad. His residence in Delhi was also searched by the Assam Police earlier this week after which the Congress leader approached the Telangana High Court.
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, who was representing Khera, argued that the case is a result of political vendetta by the Assam government. However, Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia maintained that there was no such thing. Saikia also said that Khera'a plea is not maintainable in the Telangana High Court, but the Congress leader showed his residential address in Hyderabad.
"Khera has roots in society and is a prominent political figure," Singhvi argued in the court, as reported by news agency PTI. "We are not living in an age of constitutional cowboys. We are not living in an age of whipping out things from the holster and sending 100 people from Assam to Nizamuddin (to arrest Khera) for what the complaint says is defamation."
In response, Saikia said that Assam is not a banana republic and law is prevailing in the northeast state. He further said Khera has no threat to his life in Assam, adding that the allegations he made against the chief minister's wife are "devoid of any truth".
"In this case, it is like an FIR has been lodged in Assam. He (Khera) is a permanent resident of Delhi. Now he is in Hyderabad and applying for anticipatory bail in Telangana, whether that is permissible or not," he said, alleging that Khera forged his Aadhaar Card and misled the Telangana High Court.