The Supreme Court on Friday, for the second time, paused the interim bail granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a defamation case filed by the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, over Khera’s allegations that she held multiple passports and foreign assets.
Khera had sought an extension of his transit anticipatory bail till Tuesday, arguing that courts in Assam were currently closed. The Supreme Court, however, declined the request and directed that any anticipatory bail plea be moved before the appropriate court in Assam without delay.
As the court refused to entertain his plea, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Khera, asked, “Today is Friday, I am filing on Monday. Am I a hardened criminal so as to deny even this relief?”
It also clarified that the Assam court would decide Khera’s application independently, based on the material on record and on its own merits, and would not be influenced by any observations made by the Supreme Court in its earlier order.
He further contended that the Supreme Court’s April 15 stay on the Telangana High Court’s order was obtained based on a misunderstanding regarding documents submitted by Khera. Referring to the Solicitor General’s argument that the High Court relief was secured using a fabricated Aadhaar document, Singhvi said there had been a mix-up due to urgency in filing and that the error was later clarified before the High Court with additional documents.
However, the bench was not inclined to grant any extension. Justice Maheshwari questioned the submission that the error was minor, remarking on the seriousness of producing incorrect documents before a court.
Singhvi maintained that the issue was a genuine mistake and not forgery, adding that personal liberty should not be curtailed over what he described as a “small error.” He also argued that the FIR was essentially in the nature of a defamation complaint and questioned the scale of action taken by the Assam Police.
The court, however, reiterated that Khera could approach the competent court in Assam without delay, even seeking urgent listing if necessary.
– Ends
Published By:
Shipra Parashar
Published On:
Apr 17, 2026 12:34 IST
