Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika targets Congress over #KheraForgery in 2026 poll row
Synopsis
Assam Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika has accused the Congress of deploying fabricated documents to swing the 2026 Assam Assembly elections — a charge the party denies, calling the FIR political vendetta. With the Supreme Court now reserving judgment on Pawan Khera's anticipatory bail plea after the Gauhati High Court's rejection, the legal and political stakes are rising simultaneously.
Key Takeaways
Assam Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika accused the Indian National Congress of using forged documents to influence the 2026 Assam Assembly elections , terming it the #KheraForgery episode.
The Supreme Court of India on 30 April reserved its judgment on Pawan Khera's anticipatory bail petition in connection with an Assam Police FIR .
The FIR was filed on a complaint by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma , wife of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma , over Khera's allegations about her foreign passports and financial interests abroad.
The Gauhati High Court had earlier rejected Khera's anticipatory bail plea, ruling that custodial interrogation was necessary to trace the source of the disputed documents.
Khera had previously obtained a week's transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court on 10 April , which the Supreme Court subsequently stayed.
Assam Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika on Thursday, 30 April launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress (INC), alleging that the party attempted to manipulate the 2026 Assam Assembly elections through fabricated documents in what he labelled the #KheraForgery episode. The remarks came on the same day the Supreme Court of India reserved its judgment on a petition by Congress leader Pawan Khera seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) registered by Assam Police.
Hazarika's Allegations Against Congress
In a post on X, Hazarika urged the public to read the court argument transcript, calling the episode a "sinister attempt" by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) to alter an election outcome it was reportedly set to lose. He alleged that the Congress had deployed similar tactics during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claiming doctored videos were circulated at that time. According to him, the party believed the same "toolkit" would work in Assam in 2026, but the alleged attempt was exposed within hours.
Hazarika further alleged that arguments made on behalf of Pawan Khera did not engage with the authenticity of the disputed documents. He claimed the defence instead sought to reframe the case as one of political vendetta. The minister demanded that every alleged co-conspirator be brought to justice, asserting that strict legal action was essential to deter political parties from attempting to win elections through "fakery and forgery".
The FIR and Its Origins
The case originated from a complaint filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station. The complaint was lodged in response to Khera's public allegations that she held multiple foreign passports and maintained financial interests abroad.
The FIR invokes several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to false statements in connection with elections, cheating, forgery of valuable security documents, forgery of public records, using forged documents as genuine, intentional insult, and defamation.
Court Proceedings: A Winding Legal Trail
Khera initially approached the Telangana High Court, which granted him one week's transit anticipatory bail on 10 April to seek regular relief before the competent court in Assam. The Supreme Court subsequently stayed the operation of that transit bail, clarifying that any plea filed before the competent court in Assam would be considered independently. The apex court later declined Khera's request to vacate the stay or extend interim protection.
Khera then moved the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The High Court rejected the plea, observing that the matter was not one of simple defamation and that custodial interrogation was necessary to ascertain the source of the documents cited by him. The Supreme Court has now reserved its judgment on his fresh petition, with a ruling expected in the coming days.
Political Context and What's Next
This comes amid heightened political temperatures ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress trading accusations over electoral conduct. Notably, the BJP has sought to frame the episode as emblematic of a broader Congress pattern of alleged electoral manipulation, while the Congress has characterised the FIR as a politically motivated action against one of its prominent spokespersons.
The Supreme Court's reserved judgment will be closely watched — its ruling on anticipatory bail could determine whether Khera faces custodial interrogation, and may have wider implications for how courts balance political speech with election-related offences in the lead-up to state polls.
Point of View
Lending the FIR a credibility that the Congress has struggled to undercut. Yet the BJP's framing of a Congress 'forgery toolkit' ahead of 2026 also deserves scrutiny — deploying a criminal case as an election narrative is itself a political act. The Supreme Court's reserved judgment will be the real test of whether the legal process holds its own logic, or gets consumed by the electoral calendar.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the #KheraForgery case about?
The #KheraForgery case refers to allegations by Assam Cabinet Minister Pijush Hazarika that the Congress used fabricated documents to influence the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. An FIR was registered by Assam Police following a complaint by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma against Congress leader Pawan Khera over his public claims about her foreign passports and financial interests abroad.
Why did the Gauhati High Court reject Pawan Khera's anticipatory bail plea?
The Gauhati High Court rejected Khera's anticipatory bail plea, observing that the matter was not one of simple defamation and that custodial interrogation was necessary to determine the source of the documents he had cited publicly.
What is the current status of Pawan Khera's case in the Supreme Court?
The Supreme Court of India reserved its judgment on Khera's anticipatory bail petition on 30 April. The apex court had earlier stayed the transit anticipatory bail granted by the Telangana High Court and declined to extend interim protection to Khera.
Who filed the FIR against Pawan Khera and under which law?
The FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station. It invokes multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provisions on election-related false statements, cheating, forgery, and defamation.
How does this case connect to the 2026 Assam Assembly elections?
Minister Hazarika has alleged that the Congress used forged documents as part of a 'toolkit' to influence the outcome of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, which the BJP is seeking to frame as a pattern of electoral manipulation by the opposition. The Congress has denied the allegations, calling the FIR politically motivated.
