Guwahati – Congress leader Pawan Khera may be arrested soon by Assam police in the false allegation on Assam CM wife’s passport just before the assembly election.
In a stinging blow to Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, the Gauhati High Court today rejected his plea for anticipatory bail in a high-profile criminal case stemming from false explosive claims he made against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.
Khera, who heads the party’s media and publicity wing, had leveled serious accusations during a press conference just before the Assam polls. He alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma held three foreign passports—from the UAE, Egypt, and Antigua-Barbuda—along with unreported properties in Dubai and stakes in shadowy shell companies and later it was proved to be false and fabricated and made using AI and false electronic data.
The remarks ignited a firestorm, prompting Riniki Bhuyan Sharma to file a police complaint at Guwahati’s Crime Branch station. In her FIR the CM’s wife charged Khera and associates under key sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, defamation, forgery of valuable documents and electronic records, and causing intentional insult. Meanwhile the foreign ministry also made it clear on 23rd April that Assam CM’s wife doesn’t possess any foreign passport and she holds a valid Indian passport only.
The courtroom drama unfolded after a tense three-hour hearing on Tuesday, where the court reserved its order. Justice SVN Bhatti delivered the verdict this afternoon, dashing Khera’s hopes amid mounting pressure from Assam Police.
The saga began earlier this month when officers knocked on Khera’s Delhi residence on April 7, only to find him absent. Days later, on April 10, he raced to the Telangana High Court for transit anticipatory bail and snagged a week’s interim protection. That move backfired spectacularly: Assam Police challenged it in the Supreme Court, which on April 15 slapped a stay on the Telangana order.
The apex court left a narrow window open, noting that any fresh anticipatory bail application in Assam’s jurisdiction would not be prejudiced by its interim directive. Khera tried again, urging the Supreme Court to lift the stay and revive his Telangana bail. But on Friday, the top court shut that door too, directing him straight to the Gauhati High Court—which has now spoken.
This development escalates the political tussle in Assam, where Khera’s comments have fueled accusations of smear tactics ahead of elections. Congress sources say Khera plans to challenge the order, while Assam Police remain tight-lipped on next steps. As the case heats up, it underscores the razor-thin line between political rhetoric and legal red lines in India’s charged election landscape. Assam police sources said that after the verdict of the Guwahati High court, they are planning to take the Congress leader in Custody or it may issue summons to Khera to surrender before the police.
