Telangana High Court reserves verdict on Congress veteran Pawan Khera's anticipatory bail plea

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on the anticipatory bail petition filed by Congress leader Pawan Khera, in connection with an FIR lodged by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Justice K Sujana, who heard the matter, is expected to pronounce the order on Friday.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of Khera, contended that while multiple charges have been registered against his client, the case amounts, at best, to one of alleged defamation. He argued that the FIR was a calculated attempt to silence, harass, and intimidate political opposition, and did not warrant an arrest.

Singhvi pointed out that for what is ostensibly a defamation offence, the FIR invokes, in his words, "every possible offence one can dream of" a sign, he argued, that the criminal action is politically motivated and amounts to a misuse of the law. "You are not fighting your political opponents politically, but through vicious, unjustified misuse of law. Because you want to silence me. It is disproportionate. The de facto complainant is virtually the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam," he submitted.

The anticipatory bail petition was filed in Hyderabad on the ground that Khera maintains a residence in the city, where his wife, writer and politician Kota Neelima, resides. Neelima has previously contested elections from the Sanathnagar constituency, and Khera visits the city regularly.

Advocate General of Assam, Devajit Saikia, appearing for the Assam Police, challenged the very maintainability of the plea in Hyderabad. He submitted that Khera, a Delhi resident, had furnished no valid reason for not approaching a court in Assam or Delhi for anticipatory bail. "There is no medical emergency. He can file for anticipatory bail in Assam from any part of the country," Saikia argued.

He further alleged that when police attempted to reach Khera, he left Delhi rather than seeking relief there. "When police went to him, he fled. He could have gone to Delhi, which is his place of residence. Instead, he is in Hyderabad. Tomorrow, if police reach there, he will fly to Chennai," Saikia contended.

A separate counsel appearing for Khera maintained that the plea was rightly filed in Hyderabad, given that his family and residence are in the city. The counsel cited Kota Neelima's Aadhaar card as documentary evidence of her Hyderabad address, and noted her prior electoral participation in the city as further corroboration.