Congress Leader Pawan Khera Moves Gauhati High Court Seeking Anticipatory Bail In FIR By Assam CM's Wife Over Passport Row

Congress leader Pawan Khera has moved the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with an FIR filed by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, amid allegations related to her holding multiple passports.

As per the case status on the high court website, the petition was filed on Monday (April 20). 

For context the Telangana High Court had on April 10 granted one week transit anticipatory bail to Khera and permitted him to move before the concerned court. The anticipatory bail herein was filed in Hyderabad, wherein Khera is stated to have a residence.

Assam Police thereafter moved the Supreme Court against this order, and on April 15 the Supreme Court in its interim order, stayed the grant of transit anticipatory bail by Telangana High Court. The bench said that if Khera applies for anticipatory bail in the Court having jurisdiction in Assam, then the interim order passed by the Supreme Court will not have any adverse effect on the consideration of such an application.

On Friday (April 17) the Supreme Court also declined Khera's plea to vacate the stay imposed by it on the transit anticipatory bail granted to him by the Telangana High Court. The Court also turned down Khera's plea to extend the transit bail till next Tuesday so that he can approach the Assam Court on Monday. 

The bench also clarified that neither the observations in the High Court's order nor the Supreme Court's stay order should influence the concerned Court while considering Khera's application for anticipatory bail.

In this background, Khera moved the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail. 

The FIR has been registered under Sections 175(false statement in connection with an election), 35, 36, 318 (Cheating), 338, (forgery of valuable will, security etc.), 337(Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc.), 340(Forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine), 352(Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 356(Defamation) of BNS at Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station.

Earlier this month, Assam police had reached Hyderabad, Telangana looking for Khera. The Congress leader has claimed that Assam CM's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds three passports. Khera is the Chairman, Media & Publicity Department of the Congress party and is also a member of the Congress Working Committee.

As per reports, Assam Police had also visited Khera's residence in Delhi and conducted a search.

Case title: PAWAN KHERA v/s STATE OF ASSAM

AB/804/2026