Congress leader Pawan Khera has moved the Supreme Court to contest the Gauhati High Court’s rejection of his anticipatory bail plea related to a criminal case filed by Assam Police over alleged remarks against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife. The Supreme Court’s official website confirms that a Special Leave Petition (SLP) was filed by Khera, listed as Diary No. 25523/2026 and marked as “pending.”
The move comes after the Gauhati High Court refused to grant pre-arrest bail to Khera, stating that he did not merit anticipatory bail. The High Court noted the presence of prima facie evidence under Section 339 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, in the case, which it deemed beyond simple defamation.
During the proceedings, Khera’s counsel argued that the case was politically motivated and linked to alleged statements attributed to the Assam Chief Minister. Concerns over fairness were raised due to the upcoming state elections. The defense emphasized that Khera posed no flight risk and that custodial interrogation was unnecessary, questioning the need for arrest as the allegations could potentially amount to criminal defamation.
