No relief for Congress leader Pawan Khera, as the Gauhati High Court on Friday rejected his anticipatory bail plea over remarks made against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma. A single-judge bench of Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia pronounced the order after reserving its verdict on April 21, following extensive arguments from both sides. The decision comes days after the Supreme Court stayed the transit bail granted to Khera by the Telangana High Court on April 15 after Assam Police challenged the order.
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Khera, argued that the case was politically motivated and stemmed from alleged remarks attributed to the Chief Minister.
Pawan Khera Assam CM’s wife case
The case stems from allegations made by Congress leader Pawan Khera during a press conference on April 5, where he claimed that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma possessed multiple foreign passports and undisclosed assets abroad.
Khera alleged that Sharma held three foreign passports and presented what he claimed were documents showing she possessed valid passports from the UAE, Egypt, and Antigua and Barbuda. Khera argued that this amounted to violations of Indian electoral laws and corruption, as India does not permit dual citizenship.
He also alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma possessed undisclosed overseas assets, including ownership of a company in Wyoming and properties in Dubai that were not declared in the Chief Minister’s election affidavit.
Following the allegations, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, filed a criminal complaint with the Guwahati Crime Branch. The Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station registered an FIR under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to false statements, cheating, forgery, and defamation.
Assam CM’s wife reacts
Later, while pointing to several technical inconsistencies in Khera’s “evidence,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife dismissed the claims as “malicious” and “fabricated.” They said the documents contained errors such as surname mismatches (using “SARMA” instead of “SHARMA”), spelling mistakes (such as “Egyptiann”), and the use of publicly available images instead of biometric photographs.
MEA sources later said the documents cited by Khera were fake, further strengthening the Sarma family’s claim that the allegations were baseless and politically motivated.
Earlier this month, Assam Police conducted searches at Khera’s residence in Delhi and also visited Hyderabad in connection with the case.
