Pawan Khera moves Telangana HC seeking anticipatory bail in case filed by Assam CM's wife

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: A day after the Assam police searched his Delhi residence, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Wednesday moved the Telangana High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a case filed in Guwahati in connection with his allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife.

The chairman of AICC's Media and Publicity Department, who showed his residential address in Hyderabad, requested the court to release him on bail in the event of his arrest.

Khera's wife hails from Telangana and he has a residence in Hyderabad. The state is ruled by the Congress.

The petition was filed on April 7 and will be taken up on Thursday morning. Khera named the DCP Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station and the Telangana government as respondents to the petition.

In his petition for anticipatory bail, Khera has pleaded that he is a law-abiding citizen, has no criminal antecedents and holds a responsible position in the principal opposition party. The Congress leader said he is ready to cooperate in the case against him and hence be given pre-arrest bail.

The Congress leader had, in a press conference on April 5, alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister’s election affidavit. The allegations were rejected as "false, fabricated and malicious" by the Sarmas.

On a complaint by the CM's wife, the case was registered in the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station against Khera under several sections of the BNS, including 175 (false statement in connection with an election), 35 (Right of private defence of the body and of property) and 318 (cheating).

An Assam Police team had earlier visited the Delhi residence of Khera for questioning him, but did not find him there. It carried out a search and claimed that "incriminating" material was found.

Sarma on Tuesday slammed the Congress for "not verifying" the documents based on which it levelled allegations against him and his family. The CM asserted that Khera had "run away" to Hyderabad, but the Assam Police will "hunt him down even from 'pataal' (netherworld)".

In a recorded video addressed to the Assam chief minister from an undisclosed location, Khera on Wednesday accused the BJP leader of "unleashing" the state police on him instead of addressing the opposition party's questions.

"Our party had only asked you some questions. Why do you want to silence us? We have asked questions; give us the replies." He added, "Instead of replying, you are hurling abuses at everyone, you have set the police after me. I am not afraid of them. But I am avoiding them as I have more questions to ask." Assam will go to polls on Thursday.