The case stems from remarks made by Khera during an April 4 press conference, where he alleged that the wife of Himanta Biswa Sarma held multiple passports and accused the Chief Minister of involvement in illegal activities, prompting a police complaint in Guwahati.
BY PC Bureau
April 17: The Supreme Court of India on Friday refused to extend transit anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in connection with a case registered in Guwahati over his remarks against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife.
A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar directed Khera to approach the Gauhati High Court for anticipatory bail, while making it clear that the High Court should decide the matter on its own merits, uninfluenced by any observations made during the proceedings.
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Appearing for Khera, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi urged the court to grant interim protection, expressing concern over the possibility of arrest. During the hearing, he remarked, “Am I a terrorist?” However, the court declined to extend relief and also pulled up Khera for submitting incorrect documents, including an inaccurate Aadhaar.
The case arises from an April 4 press conference in which Khera alleged that the Chief Minister’s wife held passports from three different countries and accused Sarma of involvement in illegal activities. Following the remarks, a complaint was lodged with the Guwahati Police, leading to the registration of a case.
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Earlier, on April 10, the Telangana High Court had granted Khera one week of transit anticipatory bail, citing Supreme Court precedents that allow limited protection even when a case is registered in another state. The court had observed that Khera faced a reasonable apprehension of arrest, particularly after search-and-seizure operations were conducted at his Delhi residence by Assam and Delhi Police.
