Supreme Court Stays Pawan Khera's Anticipatory Bail

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed a one-week transit anticipatory bail granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera by the Telangana High Court, in a criminal case filed in Assam over his allegations against the wife of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The decision came during a hearing in New Delhi, where a bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.S. Chandurkar issued notices to Khera and others, seeking responses to the Assam government's challenge. The court scheduled the next hearing for three weeks later, while clarifying that Khera remains free to apply for anticipatory bail in an Assam court without prejudice from the stay.

The case originated from a press conference Khera held on April 5 in New Delhi, where he claimed that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the chief minister's wife, possessed multiple foreign passports and undeclared properties abroad, including in Dubai and through shell companies in the United States. Khera stated these assets were not disclosed in Himanta Biswa Sarma's election affidavit for the Assam Assembly polls held on April 9. The Sarma family dismissed the claims as false and fabricated, with the chief minister later alleging that the documents Khera...