The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, reserved its order on the anticipatory bail application filed by Congress leader Pawan Khera. The plea is in connection with an FIR registered by the Guwahati Crime Branch based on a complaint by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, entrepreneur and wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The controversy stems from a press conference held by Khera on April 5, where he alleged that the Chief Minister’s wife holds passports from three different countries and possesses undisclosed luxury assets in Dubai and the United States. The FIR invokes several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to promoting enmity, criminal conspiracy, and the use of forged documents.
During the hearing, Advocate General of Assam Devajit Saikia strongly opposed the bail plea. The State alleged that Khera had relied on "fake and manufactured" documents to make defamatory claims for political mileage. The AG further argued that Khera should be considered a "flight risk" and noted that the police primarily intend to procure his travel documents and verify the source of the alleged misinformation.
Khera’s legal team maintained that the FIR is a manifestation of political vendetta aimed at silencing dissent. They argued that the allegations made during the press conference were based on information that required investigation and did not warrant custodial interrogation. The defense also pointed out that Khera has shown a willingness to comply with the legal process, having approached multiple courts to seek protection.
The path to the Gauhati High Court was marked by a series of high-stakes legal maneuvers:
- April 10: The Telangana High Court granted Khera a one-week transit anticipatory bail.
- April 15: The Supreme Court stayed the Telangana High Court's order after the Assam government challenged its territorial jurisdiction.
- April 17: The Supreme Court declined to extend the transit protection but clarified that the jurisdictional court in Assam should decide the bail plea on its own merits, uninfluenced by previous stay orders.
With the High Court now reserving its verdict, the interim protection status remains a point of significant concern for the petitioner. The court’s upcoming decision will determine whether Khera is granted regular anticipatory bail or if the Assam Police will be permitted to proceed with coercive measures.