Indian Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Congress Leader Pawan Khera in Defamation Case

Senior Indian National Congress (INC) leader and media department head Pawan Khera has received a major legal reprieve from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has granted him anticipatory bail in a forgery and defamation case filed by the Assam Police. The case was filed over controversial statements involving the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. A bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice AS Chandurkar set aside a Gauhati High Court order that rejected Khera's anticipatory bail plea. The Supreme Court in its judgment said that the circumstances of this case indicate'political rivalry ', hence Pawan Khera's personal liberty must be protected. This case of defamation, forgery and criminal conspiracy was filed against Pawan Khera following claims made by him in a press conference. At this press conference, Khera had alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan, has references to his passport and several political statements made against him during a foreign press conference.