The intensified legal conflict stemming from controversial comments made against the Chief Minister’s wife is now manifesting in both Delhi and Guwahati. The Assam government filed suit in the Supreme Court on Sunday, contesting the directions issued by the Telangana High Court granting Congress leader Pawan Khera a one-week transit anticipatory bail. Khera’s attorney, Shubdeep Roy, is expected to respond to the Court’s order this week.
In a press conference held on April 5, 2023, Khera made serious allegations about the Chief Minister’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, including that she held multiple passports and held undeclared overseas assets. Khera’s accusations of having omitted information from her election affidavit led to the registration of a case against him in the Guwahati Crime Branch for fraud and disseminating false information.
On April 7, Khaira was trying to avoid being arrested when he approached the Telangana High Court. The court granted Khaira a one-week interim relief on April 10, provided he executed a bond for one lakh rupees. As part of this interim relief, the court ordered Khaira to fully cooperate with the investigation during this time and prohibited him from traveling outside of India. Additionally, the court ordered Khaira not to make any public comment regarding this matter as a public figure. The Assam government has now challenged Khaira’s bail at the Supreme Court. The government claims that it is a grave crime to disrupt the election environment by making false allegations against the family of a person in a position of authority. The Crime Branch has already accelerated its investigation into BNS under Sections 175 and 318 of the Indian Penal Code. The outcome of Pawan Khaira’s case will depend upon the Supreme Court’s decision to accept or reject Khaira’s bail.
