GUWAHATI, May 14: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Thursday said the Assam Police’s Crime Branch has summoned him again on May 25 for further questioning in connection with cases filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Khera was questioned for the second consecutive day at the Crime Branch office here in connection with allegations he had made against Sharma regarding possession of multiple passports and undisclosed foreign properties.
“The inquiry is going on. Questions are being asked, and I am answering them as part of the process. I have been asked to come again on May 25, and I will do so,” Khera told reporters after coming out of the Crime Branch office in the evening.
Related Posts:
He said he was cooperating fully with the investigation, “as every responsible citizen should”.
However, the Congress leader declined to disclose details of the questioning, saying he was responding to all queries raised by investigators.
Police had questioned Khera for more than 10 hours on Wednesday before asking him to appear again on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, before entering the Crime Branch office, Khera had reiterated that he would cooperate with the probe.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the investigation would proceed as per law and claimed that the Centre had informed the state in writing that the documents displayed by Khera were “fake”.
He also said the police would be able to file a chargesheet within the stipulated time.
Sharma had lodged criminal complaints against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The charges include making false statements in connection with an election, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents as genuine, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and defamation.
Earlier, Assam Police had visited Khera’s residence in Delhi, but he was reportedly not present there.
Khera had initially secured seven-day transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court, which was later challenged by Assam Police in the Supreme Court.
The apex court subsequently stayed the transit bail order and directed Khera to approach the Gauhati High Court. His anticipatory bail plea was later rejected by the Gauhati High Court, following which he again moved the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court then granted him anticipatory bail, observing that the matter appeared to stem from political rivalry.
Meanwhile, a local court in Guwahati had earlier rejected the Assam Police’s plea, seeking issuance of a non-bailable warrant against the Congress leader. (PTI)
