New Delhi. In a setback to Congress leader Pawan Khera, the Supreme Court Wednesday stayed the order of the Telangana High Court granting transit anticipatory bail to him in connection with an FIR registered in Assam.
The top court decision came on Assam Government plea challenging the Telangana High Court’s order giving interim relief to Khera.
A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar issued notice to Khera and others, asking them to file their replies to the Assam government petition against the Telangana High Court decision.
The Assam Government has argued that Khera had improperly approached the Telangana High Court instead of a court with territorial jurisdiction. The Assam Government called the Khera move as an abuse of the legal process and a case of “forum choosing.”
The Telangana High Court had earlier provided Khera with one week of protection from arrest, allowing him time to approach the appropriate court in Assam for regular bail.
The relief came after Khera sought protection against coercive action in a case stemming from his remarks regarding the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Sarmas had rejected the allegations as false and fabricated.
The Sarmas had rejected the allegations as false and fabricated.
The case against Khera was registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under several sections of the BNS sections, including false statement in connection with an election, right of private defence of the body and of property and 318 cheating.
The development has put Khera’s interim protection on hold, leaving the outcome of his legal recourse contingent on the Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision.