Guwahati: The Supreme Court is set to hear on Wednesday, April 15, a petition filed by the Assam government challenging a Telangana High Court order that granted Congress leader Pawan Khera one-week transit anticipatory bail.
A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar will preside over the matter, which relates to allegations involving Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.
Earlier, on April 10, the Telangana High Court had granted Khera short-term anticipatory bail with certain conditions and allowed him time to approach the appropriate court.
The Assam government moved the Supreme Court on Sunday through its lawyer Shuvodeep Roy.
During a press conference on April 5, Khera had alleged that the Chief Minister’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds multiple passports and owns property abroad, which he claimed were not disclosed in the election affidavit submitted for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The Sarma family dismissed these claims, calling them baseless and fabricated.
Following the remarks, a case was registered against Khera at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to false statements linked to elections and cheating.
In its earlier order, the high court said it found sufficient grounds to grant limited protection from arrest, noting that Khera’s concerns about being detained appeared reasonable based on the material presented.
The court directed that in case of arrest, he should be released after furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh along with two sureties of the same amount.
It also instructed him to cooperate with the investigation, appear before the investigating officer whenever required, and not travel outside the country without prior permission from the court.
Additionally, the court asked him to approach the appropriate court in Assam within the given time frame to seek further relief.
The order further stated that, as a public figure, he should avoid making statements related to the case that could affect the investigation.
Khera had approached the Telangana High Court on April 7, mentioning Hyderabad as his place of residence, and sought protection from arrest in the event of any police action.