Pawan Khera Moves SC After Gauhati HC Rejects Anticipatory Bail in Assam CM’s Wife Passport Row

Congress leader Pawan Khera has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging the Gauhati High Court’s order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in a case linked to his allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife , Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.

According to the apex court’s case status, Khera’s petition has been filed but is yet to be listed before a bench for hearing .

The case stems from remarks made by Khera during a press conference in which he alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma possessed multiple foreign passports and undisclosed overseas assets , claims strongly denied by Sarma and his wife.

Following the allegations, Sharma filed a complaint with the Assam Police’s Crime Branch in Guwahati , which registered an FIR against Khera and others under provisions relating to defamation, forgery and criminal conspiracy .

Earlier, the Telangana High Court granted Khera a seven-day transit anticipatory bail , allowing him temporary protection from arrest so he could approach the appropriate court in Assam. However, the Assam Police challenged the order in the Supreme Court , which stayed the transit relief and directed Khera to seek bail from the Gauhati High Court.

The Gauhati High Court, in its order on April 24, refused to grant anticipatory bail, observing that the case was not merely a defamation dispute and that custodial interrogation could be required to determine the source and authenticity of documents cited in the allegations .

The court also remarked that the accusations appeared to have dragged an “innocent lady” into a political controversy , while investigators were examining claims that fabricated or misleading documents may have been circulated.

Khera’s legal team has argued that the case is politically motivated , maintaining that the allegations were raised as part of political criticism and that arrest is unnecessary while the investigation continues.