Congress leader Pawan Khera approached the Telangana High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail after Assam Police questioned him in Delhi. He sought interim protection from arrest to enable him to pursue legal remedies before courts in Assam.
A day after an Assam Police team visited Congress leader Pawan Khera’s Delhi home to question him, Khera has reportedly approached the Telangana High Court seeking interim protection from arrest in the case registered by Assam Police.
His petition reportedly requests transit anticipatory bail so he can approach courts in Assam. The matter is said to be listed for hearing before Telangana High Court Justice K Sujana on Thursday.
Assam Police has reportedly booked Khera on charges of alleged defamation, forgery and criminal conspiracy. The FIR followed his recent statements alleging that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan, holds multiple foreign passports and undeclared assets overseas.
The search at Khera’s residence was carried out in connection with the complaint filed by the chief minister’s wife over his claims, news reports quoted police officials as saying.
Speaking to reporters outside the Congress leader’s home, Assam police DCP Debojit Nath said that Khera was not present. He added that a search was conducted and electronic devices were seized.
Nath said that the police officer said: Some “incriminating material” was found but its details cannot be disclosed at this stage, he said, adding the case had been registered at the Crime Branch Police Station in Guwahati.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had warned of legal action against Khera, who had in a press conference on Sunday alleged that the chief minister’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the CM’s election affidavit.
The Congress hit out at Sarma, alleging that he was “disturbed and rattled” due to “imminent” defeat in the April 9 polls and was using state machinery to muzzle the opposition’s voice, but the chief minister said the police will hunt down Khera from “pataal (netherworld) to question him on the “false documents” that he had used to target his family.
On Monday, Sarma had alleged that the Congress used “false information” sourced from a Pakistani social media group to level “baseless” and malicious” allegations against his wife. The BJP leader termed it an attempt to influence the Assam elections and a punishable offence. The chief minister had said his wife has filed a complaint against Khera. “I am sure the police will register the case and take necessary legal action,” he said.
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