While putting the Telangana High Court’s order on hold, the bench clarified that Khera remains free to seek anticipatory bail before a competent court in Assam.
Passport row: ‘Pawan Khera should surrender,’ says Assam CM Himanta Sarma after SC denies bail relief to Congress leader
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the order of the Telangana High Court that had granted one-week transit anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera. The top court also issued notice to Khera on a petition filed by the Assam government challenging the relief.
A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar directed Khera to respond within three weeks to the Assam government’s plea seeking a stay on the transit bail order.
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While putting the Telangana High Court’s order on hold, the bench clarified that Khera remains free to seek anticipatory bail before a competent court in Assam. The court said its present order would not affect any such application filed in the state.
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“Issue notice. Meanwhile, the impugned order should be stayed. In case the petitioner applies for anticipatory bail before the court having jurisdiction in Assam, and while deciding such an application, the order passed today will not have any effect. Issue notice. Returnable in three weeks,” the Court noted.
The Assam government had moved the Supreme Court against the interim protection granted on April 10, arguing that the Telangana High Court should not have extended transit bail in the case. In its earlier order, the High Court had granted Khera protection for a week and asked him to approach the appropriate court in Assam for further relief in accordance with law.
Reacting to the development, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Telangana High Court lacked jurisdiction to grant transit bail as Khera is not a resident of the state.
He added that the law would take its own course and also made remarks targeting Congress leadership over the controversy.
He said, “The law will take its own course…Before speaking, Rahul Gandhi must remember that he is not god…He should disclose his passport before the media.”
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | SC stays one-week transit-bail granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, “According to me, Telangana Court cannot grant transit bail as he is not a resident of Telangana. The law will take its own course…Before… pic.twitter.com/36rDIR0nlr
— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2026
A complaint was filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of the Assam Chief Minister, over allegations made by Khera regarding passport and property disclosures.
Khera had claimed that Sharma possessed multiple passports and owned undisclosed assets abroad, including properties in Dubai and links to a US-based company.
The Sarma family has denied the allegations, calling the documents fabricated and alleging that they were circulated through foreign social media networks. The Chief Minister had earlier warned of strict action, asserting that the matter would be pursued legally. He said, “Before levelling an allegation, he should have asked the Foreign Minister. Kharge ji has aged, yet he speaks like a madman. Assam Police can find and bring people from ‘pataal’ as well. I suspect Rahul Gandhi has given him these documents. So, this case will extend to Rahul Gandhi. Do not try to scare us. This is Assam, and we have fought against Islamic invasion 17 times.”
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