Congress leader Pawan Khera suffered a major legal setback on Friday after the Supreme Court refused to vacate its stay on the Telangana High Court’s transit bail order, leaving him vulnerable to arrest in connection with a case filed in Assam over remarks against Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The top court’s decision came as Khera sought protection from arrest after allegations he made regarding Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s alleged possession of multiple passports triggered legal action in Guwahati.

Supreme Court Declines to Interfere

A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Atul S Chandurkar refused to grant relief to Khera, effectively allowing the legal process in Assam to continue.

The order means Khera currently has no interim protection from arrest by the Assam Police, marking a significant blow to the Congress leader.

Abhishek Singhvi Argues for Protection

Senior advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Khera, urged the court to grant interim protection, arguing that his client was only seeking anticipatory bail and should not be treated like a hardened criminal.

He told the court that procedural difficulties in filing an urgent bail plea in Guwahati should be considered and questioned why Khera was being pursued so aggressively.

Despite the argument, the Supreme Court declined to provide immediate relief.

Guwahati High Court Can Hear Bail Plea

While refusing to vacate the stay, the Supreme Court granted Khera liberty to immediately approach the Guwahati High Court for anticipatory bail.

The apex court also clarified that the Assam court should decide the matter independently on merits, without being influenced by the proceedings before the Supreme Court.

This gives Khera an opportunity to seek protection in Assam, but without any interim shield from arrest.

Telangana High Court Had Granted Transit Bail

Earlier on April 10, the Telangana High Court granted one-week transit bail to Khera with certain conditions and directed him to move the competent court within that period.

However, the Assam government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, challenged that order, arguing that the Telangana High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction to grant such relief.

The Assam government maintained that Khera had not adequately explained why he approached the Telangana High Court instead of seeking remedy in Assam.

Case Linked to Remarks on Assam CM’s Wife

The case stems from remarks made by Khera during a press conference on April 5, where he alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma held passports from three countries.

He further alleged that she owned undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai, allegedly registered through a company in a US state.

Following these remarks, a complaint was filed with Guwahati Police, leading to the registration of the case against the Congress leader.