Congress leader Pawan Khera gets one-week anticipatory bail from Telangana HC in Guwahati case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday granted a limited window of protection to Indian National Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, providing him one week of anticipatory bail in connection with a criminal case registered by the Guwahati Crime Branch.

The order, delivered by a single Bench comprising Justice Kalasikam Sujana, allows Khera a seven-day ‘transitory’ period to approach the appropriate jurisdictional court in Assam to seek regular bail.

What are the allegations against Pawan Khera?

The legal battle stems from a press conference held by Khera in Assam on April 4.

During the event, Khera is claimed to have levelled several allegations against Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and his spouse.

The Guwahati Crime Branch subsequently registered an FIR (Crime No. 4/2026) under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including charges related to:

- Defamation

- Criminal Conspiracy

Arguments in court

Representing Khera virtually, senior counsel Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi characterised the FIR as an act of ‘political vendetta.’

Singhvi argued that the allegations did not warrant immediate arrest, noting that an Assam Magistrate had previously declined to issue a non-bailable warrant because the police had failed to provide prior notice or substantiating material.

However, the State of Assam, represented by Senior Counsel Devajit Saikia, vehemently opposed the petition. Saikia raised three primary objections:

Jurisdiction: He argued that the Telangana High Court was not the proper forum, as Khera resides in Delhi and the case originated in Assam.

Factual Disputes: Saikia asserted that Khera’s claims—specifically that the Chief Minister’s wife held multiple passports—were factually disproven by official diplomatic records.

Forum Shopping: The prosecution alleged that Khera travelled to Hyderabad specifically to file this petition after failing to secure relief in Delhi, a practice known as ‘forum shopping.’

The verdict

Citing the Supreme Court’s precedent in Priya Indoria vs State of Karnataka, the prosecution maintained that bail should generally be sought where the offence is registered.

While acknowledging the jurisdictional complexities, Justice Sujana elected to grant the one-week transitory protection.

This ruling aims to balance the petitioner’s personal liberty with the procedural requirements of the criminal justice system, ensuring Khera can surrender to the jurisdiction of the Assam courts without the immediate threat of arrest.

Khera must now move the Assam jurisdictional court within the next seven days to seek further legal relief.