Congress to Challenge Gauhati High Court Ruling on Pawan Khera's Bail

Congress Stands by Pawan Khera Amid Legal Challenges

New Delhi, Apr 25: The Congress party has expressed its unwavering support for Pawan Khera, announcing plans to contest the Gauhati High Court's decision that denied his anticipatory bail request in the Supreme Court.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary responsible for communications, voiced optimism that justice would triumph over intimidation tactics.

In a statement shared on X, Ramesh affirmed, "The entire Indian National Congress stands firmly with Pawan Khera, who leads our Media and Publicity Department. We are in the process of appealing the Guwahati High Court's ruling in the Supreme Court."

He added, "We believe that justice will prevail against the backdrop of threats, intimidation, and harassment."

The Gauhati High Court had dismissed Khera's anticipatory bail plea, which was linked to his claims regarding multiple passports and undisclosed foreign assets belonging to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife.

The single bench, led by Justice Parthiv Jyoti Saikia, turned down Khera's application submitted on Monday, following a directive from the Supreme Court to seek relief from the Gauhati High Court.

In response to Khera's allegations made during a press conference, Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, initiated criminal proceedings against him at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station, citing various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The court noted that the circumstances surrounding the case do not classify it as mere 'defamation simpliciter', which would imply a straightforward defamation claim without additional elements like malice or conspiracy.

It indicated that there is sufficient evidence for a prima facie case under Section 339 of the BNS, which pertains to the possession of forged documents or electronic records, and mentioned that Khera has been evading police inquiries.

The court emphasized the necessity of custodial interrogation to uncover the identities of Khera's associates, who allegedly procured the documents for him, as well as the methods and sources involved.

Initially, Khera sought legal recourse from the Telangana High Court, given his residence in Hyderabad. The Telangana High Court granted him a seven-day transit anticipatory bail; however, the Assam Police appealed to the Supreme Court, which issued an interim order to suspend the anticipatory transit bail and instructed Khera to approach the Gauhati High Court.