Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Pawan Khera, Says Case Appears Politically Motivated

May 1, 2026 : The Supreme Court of India has granted anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a forgery and defamation case linked to alleged false statements about Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of Himanta Biswa Sarma.

A bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar observed that, at first glance, the allegations and counter-allegations appeared to be politically motivated. The Court noted that the matter seemed influenced more by political rivalry than by circumstances requiring custodial interrogation.

The bench further clarified that the truthfulness of the claims can be properly assessed during the trial process. It emphasized that its observations were limited to deciding the bail plea and should not influence the final adjudication of the case on merits.

Khera had approached the apex court after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Gauhati High Court last month. The case stems from an FIR registered by Assam Police, accusing him of making false allegations against the Chief Minister’s wife.