Supreme Court grants anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in defamation case

The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera, overturning a previous Gauhati High Court order that had refused him protection from arrest.

Khera faced potential custodial interrogation in a case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, News.Az reports, citing DNA.

The legal battle follows a press conference held by Khera on April 4, 2026, where he alleged that Mrs. Sarma held multiple foreign passports from the UAE and Egypt and owned undisclosed offshore assets in Dubai and the United States.

Representing Khera, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the case was politically motivated and characterized by "venom and malice," describing the Chief Minister's conduct as that of a "constitutional cowboy." Singhvi maintained that custodial arrest was unnecessary as the charges were bailable and Khera posed no flight risk. Conversely, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that custodial interrogation was essential to investigate alleged document forgery involving passport seals and QR codes, as well as potential foreign links, claiming Khera had been "absconding."

The Gauhati High Court had originally rejected Khera’s bail plea on April 24, 2026, stating that the allegations unfairly targeted a private individual rather than being limited to political rhetoric. Before approaching the Assam courts, Khera had briefly received transit bail from the Telangana High Court, which was subsequently stayed by the Supreme Court due to jurisdictional concerns. With this latest ruling, the bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice AS Chandurkar has provided Khera relief from arrest as the investigation into the Sarma family’s criminal defamation and forgery complaints continues.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova