The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on a plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered against him related to allegations that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife possessed multiple passports and undisclosed properties abroad.
Quick summary - click for full detailsConcise summary of key highlights
Supreme Court reserves verdict on Pawan Khera's anticipatory bail plea in Assam case
In one lineSupreme Court reserves verdict on Congress leader Pawan Khera's anticipatory bail plea in an Assam case involving allegations against the State's Chief Minister's wife.Key points• Anticipatory bail pleaPawan Khera sought anticipatory bail in a case where he allegedly shared false claims about Assam Chief Minister's wife possessing multiple passports and undisclosed foreign properties.• Legal arguments presentedKhera's lawyer argued that some charges against him are bailable and arrest isn't necessary, while the Solicitor General accused Khera of fabricating evidence and absconding.• High Court's rejectionThe Gauhati High Court previously refused Khera's anticipatory bail plea on April 24, leading him to approach the Supreme Court.• Charges and allegationsKhera faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly spreading false information about Riniki Bhuyan Sharma's citizenship and assets.Processed with AI. Reviewed by DH Digital Team.
A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar reserved its decision on the plea after the Congress leader submitted that if he doesn't get anticipatory bail in a registered case against him, then the very purpose of pre-arrest bail is gone.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, said the allegations against him are a matter of trial and it was not necessary to humiliate him by arrest.
He submitted that out of the total sections invoked against him, some are bailable while others do not require his arrest.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Assam government, opposed the plea and said Khera showed fake and doctored copies of passports of the Chief Minister's wife.
He said Khera had been absconding and releasing videos, and all the allegations about the Chief Minister's wife holding multiple citizenships are false.
Khera has challenged the April 24 order of the Gauhati High Court refusing to grant him anticipatory bail.
Following the allegations, the Chief Minister's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, filed criminal cases against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Telangana High Court had earlier granted Khera a seven-day transit anticipatory bail, but the Assam police moved the Supreme Court against it.
The apex court passed an interim order to stay the grant of anticipatory transit bail and asked Khera to approach the Gauhati High Court.
(With PTI inputs)