The Supreme Court of India on Thursday reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea filed by Pawan Khera, even as the Assam government opposed the relief and sought custodial interrogation in the case.
Representing the state, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that Khera had allegedly used forged documents during a press conference to claim that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife possessed passports from multiple countries. According to the state, the investigation so far suggests that the documents displayed were fabricated, including images and details of foreign passports and records related to a company purportedly registered in the United States.
The state government argued that the case goes beyond simple defamation and involves serious allegations with potential national security implications. It contended that custodial interrogation is necessary to trace the origin of the documents, identify those responsible for the alleged forgery, and determine whether any external or “foreign hand” was involved in an attempt to influence or disrupt ongoing political processes, including assembly elections.
The petition before the Supreme Court challenges an earlier order of the Gauhati High Court, which had denied Khera anticipatory bail in a case filed based on a complaint by the Chief Minister’s wife. The court is now expected to deliver its ruling after considering the submissions from both sides.