The Assam Police have approached the Supreme Court challenging the transit anticipatory bail granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera by the Telangana High Court in a case linked to allegations involving Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.
The case stems from remarks made by Khera during a press conference, where he alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds passports of multiple countries, leading to the registration of an FIR by the Assam Police.
Khera was granted transit anticipatory bail on April 10 for a period of one week, allowing him temporary protection from arrest and directing him to approach the Gauhati High Court for further legal relief. However, the Assam government has opposed this relief, arguing before the Supreme Court that Khera had no valid reason to seek anticipatory bail from a court outside Assam.
According to the state’s submission, the bail plea was filed in Hyderabad despite the case being registered in Assam, and authorities maintained that the Congress leader could have directly approached courts within the state.
The Telangana High Court, however, rejected this argument and upheld the grant of limited transit protection. Referring to Article 21 of the Constitution, the court observed that such relief is meant to safeguard personal liberty in situations where there is a reasonable apprehension of arrest, enabling the accused to seek appropriate remedies before the competent jurisdictional court.
The High Court noted that denying such interim protection solely on the ground of jurisdiction would undermine the purpose of transit anticipatory bail, which has evolved to address urgent circumstances requiring immediate legal relief.
The FIR in the case has been registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to making false statements in connection with elections, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, intentional insult, and defamation.
In the days following the FIR, Assam Police teams reportedly travelled to Hyderabad in search of Khera and also conducted a search operation at his residence in Delhi, intensifying the legal and political developments surrounding the case.
With the matter now before the Supreme Court, the case is expected to test the legal boundaries of transit anticipatory bail and jurisdiction, while also carrying significant political implications.
