Pawan Khera grilled for over 10 hours in Guwahati over case filed by Assam CM Himanta's wife

Guwahati: Congress leader Pawan Khera was questioned for more than 10 hours on Wednesday by the Assam Police Crime Branch in connection with cases filed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.

Khera said he was asked to appear again before the crime branch on Thursday morning.

The cases were filed after Khera alleged that Sharma possessed multiple passports and undisclosed properties abroad.

Speaking to reporters after the questioning, Khera said he was cooperating with the investigation.

"I am a law-abiding citizen. It is my duty to cooperate as there is a Constitution and I will abide by it," he said.

"I have been called again at 9.30 am on Thursday, and I will come. I have been cooperating with police and will continue to do so," he added.

Asked about the lengthy questioning, Khera declined to comment. Earlier in the day, before entering the crime branch office, Khera said he was cooperating with the investigation.

"I have been summoned by police and have come accordingly. We respect the law and the judiciary, so I am here as per legal procedure," he said.

Khera said he would speak to the press in detail after the questioning was completed.

CM Sarma said that the law will take its own course, but "we have already received in writing from the Union government that the documents Khera displayed were fake."

Police investigations, therefore, will not take long, and they will be able to submit the chargesheet within the stipulated time, the CM said at a press conference earlier in the day.

''If he continues to cooperate, the submission of the chargesheet or final report will be faster, but if he does not, it may take time. We want to conclude the case as soon as possible," Sarma added.

Sarma's wife had filed criminal complaints against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The charges against the Congress leader include making false statements in connection with an election, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents as genuine, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and defamation.

Earlier, Assam Police had visited Khera's residence in Delhi, but he was reportedly not present there.

Khera had initially approached the Telangana High Court, which granted him seven-day transit anticipatory bail. However, Assam Police challenged the order in the Supreme Court. The apex court stayed the transit bail order and directed Khera to approach the Gauhati High Court.

Subsequently, the Gauhati High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea, following which Khera moved the Supreme Court again.

The SC later granted him anticipatory bail, observing that the matter appeared to have arisen out of political rivalry.

Meanwhile, a local court in Guwahati had earlier rejected Assam Police's plea seeking issuance of a non-bailable warrant against the Congress leader.