Judicial Intervention Sparks Buzz: Telangana High Court Offers Crucial Breathing Space to Pawan Khera
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
Hyderabad, April 10: In a significant interim relief to Congress leader Pawan Khera, the Telangana High Court has granted him one week’s transit anticipatory bail in connection with a case registered by the Assam Police alleging forgery and criminal conspiracy.
The order was delivered by Justice K. Sujana on Thursday and formally pronounced on Friday, providing Khera temporary protection from arrest.
The court clarified that the relief is limited to a one-week period, during which Khera must approach the competent court having jurisdiction over the matter to seek regular anticipatory bail.
The case against Khera originates from allegations levelled by the Assam Police, who booked him under charges including defamation, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
The FIR was registered following Khera’s recent public remarks concerning Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife, Rinki Bhuyan Sarma.
Khera had claimed that she possessed multiple foreign passports and undisclosed assets abroad assertions that have triggered the present legal action.
According to media reports, Assam Police personnel visited Khera’s residence in Delhi on April 7 in connection with the case, but he was not present at the time.
Subsequently, Khera approached the Telangana High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail, citing apprehension of arrest.
Appearing on his behalf, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi strongly contested the charges, arguing that the invocation of multiple penal provisions reflected political vendetta.
He described the situation as akin to a “jungle raj” and “wild west,” questioning the necessity of arrest over statements made during a press conference.
Singhvi submitted that “every imaginable offence” had been included in the FIR merely to harass his client, emphasizing that Khera, as a political opponent, was being targeted unfairly.
On the other hand, Assam’s Advocate General Devajit Saikia opposed the plea, raising questions over the jurisdiction of the Telangana High Court.
He argued that Khera is a resident of Delhi and the case has been registered in Assam, and therefore, there was no justification for approaching the Telangana High Court. Saikia further asserted that Assam is not a “banana republic” and that there was no threat to Khera’s life that warranted such relief from a distant court.
After hearing both sides, the Telangana High Court granted limited protection, allowing Khera time to seek appropriate legal remedies before the jurisdictional court.
The development marks a crucial, albeit temporary, reprieve for the Congress leader in what is shaping up to be a politically charged legal battle.
