New Delhi, April 14 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Assam government's appeal on Wednesday, contesting the interim relief awarded by the Telangana High Court to Congress leader Pawan Khera. This relief pertains to a criminal case involving his purportedly defamatory comments about Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s spouse, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

The case is listed before a Bench led by Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar on April 15, as per the causelist available on the Supreme Court's official website.

To challenge the April 10 order of the Telangana High Court that provided a one-week transit anticipatory bail to Khera, the Assam government has submitted a Special Leave Petition (SLP) to the Supreme Court.

The interim protection granted by the Telangana High Court was intended to allow Khera to seek regular bail from the appropriate court concerning the FIR filed by the Assam Police.

Justice K. Sujana of the Telangana High Court had ruled that Khera should be granted anticipatory bail for one week in case of arrest. Khera had sought this bail after Assam Police initiated legal proceedings against him for allegedly making defamatory and malicious accusations regarding Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

During the Telangana High Court proceedings, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Khera, argued that the FIR stemmed from political vendetta, noting that Khera was being targeted for his criticisms of the Assam Chief Minister and his family.

Singhvi claimed that even if the allegations were false, they would merely constitute defamation and not justify arrest.

In opposition, Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia challenged the petition’s legitimacy before the Telangana High Court, asserting that Khera, being a resident of Delhi, lacked sufficient grounds to seek relief beyond Assam.

The Assam Police have charged Khera under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including defamation, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, following his claims that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possessed numerous foreign passports, undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai, and shell companies in the United States.

This controversy has intensified political tensions between the BJP and Congress ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, with Congress rallying in support of Khera and accusing the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government of misusing police authority to suppress political dissent.

Senior Congress officials have advocated for Khera, asserting that instead of pursuing legal actions, the Assam Chief Minister and his family should address the allegations raised against them.