Telangana HC grants interim anticipatory bail to Pawan Khera for one week
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on April 10 granted interim anticipatory bail for one week to Congress leader Pawan Khera in connection with a case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, over allegations related to holding multiple passports.
Justice K Sujana, while pronouncing the order, said the petitioner has been given one week to approach the appropriate court. “The petitioner is granted time for one week to file an application before the concerned court… relief to petitioner for one week with conditions,” the court observed.
The anticipatory bail plea was filed in Hyderabad, where Khera has a residence.
Assam Police questions Hyderabad court jurisdiction in plea
During the hearing on April 9, Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia, appearing for the state police, opposed the maintainability of the petition in Hyderabad. He argued that Khera, a resident of Delhi, had not demonstrated why he could not seek relief in Assam.
“There is no medical emergency… He can file anticipatory bail in Assam from any part of the country,” Saikia submitted.
He further alleged that Khera posed a flight risk. “When police went to him, he fled away… He could have gone to Delhi because that is his place of residence. Instead he is in Hyderabad… Tomorrow if police reaches there, he will fly to Chennai,” the Advocate General said.
Defence terms case politically motivated and vindictive
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Khera, argued that the case was politically motivated and amounted to vendetta.
The FIR was registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 175 (false statement in connection with an election), Sections 318 (cheating), 338 (forgery of valuable security), 337 (forgery of public record), 340 (using forged document), 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and 356 (defamation), among others.
Police visits Hyderabad, Delhi residences during probe
Earlier in the week, Assam Police teams reached Hyderabad in search of Khera. Reports said police had also visited his residence in Delhi and conducted searches.
Khera has alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds three passports, which forms the basis of the complaint against him.
The case is titled Pawan Khera vs The State of Telangana (CRLP 5285/2026).
