Pawan Khera moves Gauhati HC, seeks anticipatory bail in FIR filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma

A legal team from the Assam Congress filed a petition on Khera’s behalf before the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the defamation case; the petition was registered on the HC’s website and listed for hearing on Tuesday.

A PTI report stated that the investigating officer’s case to seek a non-bailable warrant was based on presumptions and conjectures and not supported by material on record.

The Assam police sought a non-bailable warrant from the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Kamrup Metropolitan district; the court rejected the plea.

The Supreme Court declined Khera's plea seeking transit bail to travel to Guwahati without risk of arrest.

The Supreme Court stayed the pre-arrest shield granted bail on April 15 after Assam police challenged the Telangana HC order.

Pawan Khera approached the Telangana High Court and was granted anticipatory bail on April 10.

The Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station registered the case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including false statement in connection with an election, cheating, forgery of valuable security or will, forgery of public record, using forged documents as genuine, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and defamation. A police team conducted searches at Khera's Delhi residence.

Riniki Bhuyan Sarma filed a First Information Report against Pawan Khera alleging that his statements on April 5 claimed she held passports issued by the UAE and Egypt and owned undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai and a US-based company.