Guwahati, July 23 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Pawan Khera on Thursday appeared before the Assam Police Crime Branch here in connection with an ongoing defamation case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Khera arrived in Guwahati from New Delhi and reached the Crime Branch headquarters after being summoned by the investigating agency. His appearance came after he had sought exemption from earlier scheduled dates, citing health issues and prior political commitments.
Speaking to reporters before entering the Crime Branch office, Khera said he was complying with the summons and cooperating with the investigation. “I have appeared before the Crime Branch in response to the notice issued to me. Earlier, I had informed the investigating agency that I was unwell and also had pre-scheduled party programmes. They accepted my request,” he said.
The Crime Branch had most recently directed Khera to appear on July 17 after he failed to attend earlier scheduled hearings.
According to the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), the Congress leader was then attending the party’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Bengaluru, where Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to participate.
Despite missing the July 17 appearance, Khera has previously joined the investigation on multiple occasions and has been questioned by Crime Branch officials as part of the probe.
He has also secured interim protection from arrest from the Supreme Court in the case.
The case originates from a complaint lodged by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station over statements made by Khera during a press conference and on social media.
In her complaint, Sharma alleged that the Congress leader made defamatory and false allegations regarding her citizenship status, foreign passports and financial interests abroad.
Based on the complaint, Assam Police registered an FIR under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections relating to cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, making false statements, intentional insult and defamation.
The investigation has witnessed several rounds of legal proceedings.
Khera had earlier approached the Telangana High Court, which granted him transit anticipatory bail to enable him to seek regular relief before the competent court in Assam. Subsequently, the Supreme Court intervened and stayed the operation of the transit anticipatory bail while clarifying that any plea filed before the competent court in Assam would be decided independently. The apex court later granted Khera interim protection from arrest while directing him to cooperate fully with the investigation.
The Gauhati High Court had earlier declined his plea for anticipatory bail, observing that the allegations went beyond a simple defamation dispute and that custodial interrogation could be necessary to ascertain the source and authenticity of the documents relied upon by the Congress leader while making the allegations.
In May, Khera had undergone a marathon interrogation lasting more than 11 hours at the Crime Branch office in Guwahati. After the questioning, he had said he was cooperating with the investigation, respected the rule of law and would continue to appear before the investigating agency whenever required.
The Crime Branch is continuing its investigation into the allegations and is expected to examine the material submitted by Khera during the course of the probe.
–IANS
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