Assam moves Supreme Court against grant of transit bail to Pawan Khera

The Assam government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Telangana High Court decision to grant transit anticipatory bail for one week to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case of forgery and criminal conspiracy registered against him by Assam Police.

Assam Police has booked Khera in a case of alleged defamation, forgery and criminal conspiracy. The case was registered following his recent claims that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan holds multiple foreign passports and undisclosed assets abroad.

According to media reports, Assam Police visited Khera’s residence in Delhi on April 7 but he was not present there. Khera later approached the Telangana High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail.

Justice K Sujana of Telangana High Court on April 10 granted Khera relief for one week within which time he can move a regular anticipatory bail plea before the concerned court having jurisdiction.

"This Court observes that a perusal of the offences alleged against the petitioner under sections 175, 3(5), 3(6), 318, 336(4), 337, 338, 340, 341(1), 351(1), 352, 353, 356, 61(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 would indicate that, except for the offence under Section 338 BNS, all other offences invoked are punishable with imprisonment of less than seven years," the High Court noted.

“The petitioner (Khera) is granted time for one week to file an application before concerned court,” the Court said in its order.

This has now been challenged before the apex court.