Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on April 25 said the party is backing senior spokesperson Pawan Khera as he moves the Supreme Court after the Gauhati High Court refused to grant him anticipatory bail in a case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. In an X post, Ramesh said the Congress is “confident of receiving relief from the apex court” against what he described as “threat, intimidation, and harassment.”
On Friday (April 24), the Gauhati High Court refused anticipatory bail to Khera, observing that the allegations go beyond simple defamation and disclose a prima facie offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The court said custodial interrogation was necessary to establish the origin and authenticity of the documents Khera relied on and to identify the persons involved in their procurement.
Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia, while rejecting the plea, noted that the allegations Khera made at a press conference in Guwahati were based on documents that, according to the investigation so far, “appear to be false.” The court recorded that Khera had not substantiated his claims “beyond doubt” and had failed to demonstrate the genuineness of the documents.
The bench further observed the matter “cannot be termed as one of defamation simpliciter,” finding sufficient material to indicate a prima facie case under Section 356 of the BNS. The court also pointed out that after the FIR was lodged, the petitioner did not claim the documents had been falsely attributed to him by the police, a factor the court said strengthened the prosecution’s case at this stage.
Noting the nature of the allegations, the court remarked that “an innocent lady has been dragged into the controversy,” and said allegations against Sharma-such as holding multiple foreign passports and operating a foreign company with large investments-remain unproven so far.
The FIR followed Khera’s press conference on April 5 in Guwahati, where he accused Sharma of alleged foreign citizenship and overseas financial interests-claims she has categorically denied. With the Gauhati High Court order now being challenged, the Congress has reiterated its support for Khera as the matter moves to the Supreme Court.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/justice-will-prevail-over-threat-harassment-says-jairam-ramesh-as-congress-to-approach-sc-against-guwahati-hc-order-1381111-2026-04-25?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-25 10:38:00
