A local court in Guwahati has turned down a request by Assam Police to issue a non-bailable warrant against Congress leader Pawan Khera in connection with a case filed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife over allegations related to multiple passports and foreign assets.
The decision was delivered by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Kamrup Metro, on April 7, with the order being made public on April 19.
In its observation, the court stated that the arguments put forward by the investigating officer were “entirely based on presumptions and conjectures” and lacked supporting evidence on record.
The court also pointed out that since the matter is cognisable and involves non-bailable offences, the investigating officer already has the power to carry out an arrest under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, if necessary, in line with guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India.
“In view of the above, the prayer for issuance of a Non-Bailable Warrant cannot be acceded to and hence rejected at this stage,” the court stated.
The case was registered by the Guwahati Crime Branch under sections including 175 (false statement in connection with an election) and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on a complaint lodged by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma on April 6.
In her complaint, Sharma alleged that statements made by Khera during two press conferences on April 5—one in New Delhi and another in Guwahati—regarding her allegedly holding multiple passports, “golden cards”, and foreign property were false and baseless. She further claimed that the documents cited by the Congress leader were “fake, doctored, forged and fabricated” and were intended to mislead the public and create unrest during a sensitive election period.
Earlier, Khera had secured a one-week transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court on April 10. However, the Supreme Court of India later stayed that order while hearing a plea filed by the Assam government.
