Telangana High Court grants one week's transit anticipatory bail to Pawan Khera in Assam Police FIR

The Telangana High Court on Friday granted 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.

Justice K Sujana, who heard Khera's plea on Thursday, passed the order on Friday granting Khera relief for one week within which time he can move a regular anticipatory bail plea before the concerned court having jurisdiction.

Khera is a resident of Delhi and the case against him has been registered in Assam.

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

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.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Khera, argued on Thursday that the offences invoked against Khera reeked of political vendetta and tantamount to "jungle raj" and "wild west".

"Are we living in the wild west where for a complaint like this, you have to arrest me? In the FIR, every imaginable offence is listed. The allegation is that I held a press conference and I made defamatory statements against you. Just to harass me you have added every offence that can be imagined," Singhvi said.

"I am a political opponent. If you start arresting people like this, this becomes nothing but jungle raj," he added.

Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia questioned why Khera has moved the Telangana High Court though he resides in Delhi and the case has been lodged in Assam.

"There is no indication that he cannot come to Assam. Assam is not a banana republic. There is no threat to his life," Saika said.