Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday approached the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a case registered against him by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife over allegations that she holds multiple passports and owns offshore assets.
The move comes days after the Supreme Court declined to grant him interim protection from arrest and directed Khera to approach a competent court in Assam for relief. The top court also paused the Telangana High Court’s transit anticipatory bail to him, and clarified that the Gauhati High Court should decide the matter independently, without being influenced by prior observations.
Khera, days ahead of the recently held Assembly elections in the state, alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds passports from three countries – the UAE, Egypt, and Antigua and Barbuda. He also presented what he claimed were documents indicating that she acquired foreign citizenships between 2021 and 2022, and alleged that the Chief Minister failed to disclose his wife’s overseas assets in his election affidavit.
The controversy snowballed, with Sarma and his wife dismissing the claims as “fabricated” and “AI-generated lies” intended to mislead voters, even claiming that the source of the information was from a Pakistani YouTube channel. Sharma subsequently filed criminal and civil defamation cases against the Congress leader.
The charges against Khera include making false statements in connection with an election and cheating.
Khera had earlier secured limited transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court on April 10, but the relief was later stayed by the Supreme Court following a plea by the Assam government. The apex court also declined his request for protection from arrest until April 20, reiterating that he must seek remedy before the jurisdictional court in Assam.
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, argued that his client was not a flight risk and sought interim protection to enable him to move the Gauhati High Court. However, a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar declined relief, noting that Khera was free to approach the appropriate court in Assam and seek an urgent hearing.
Meanwhile, a local court in Guwahati has rejected Assam Police’s plea for a non-bailable warrant against Khera in the same case. The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Kamrup Metro, in an order dated April 7, observed that the grounds cited by the investigating officer were “entirely based on presumptions and conjectures” and lacked supporting material evidence.
The court further noted that since the offence is cognisable and non-bailable, the police already have the authority to arrest under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, rendering the request for a warrant unnecessary at this stage.
– Ends
Published On:
Apr 20, 2026 14:57 IST
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