The search operation, which concluded shortly after 1 pm, was initiated following an FIR filed Monday by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the Chief Minister’s wife. The legal action stems from a Sunday press conference where Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possesses three passports and claimed the family maintains business interests in the United States valued at Rs 52,000 crore. Upon exiting the premises, an officer of the Assam Police confirmed the search, stating that while Pawan Khera was not found, investigators recovered what they described as objectionable documents.
The political atmosphere has turned increasingly hostile as Assam prepares to head to the polls on April 9, with votes scheduled for counting on May 4. Chief Minister Himanta Sarma, seeking a second term after defecting from the Congress to the BJP in 2015, dismissed the allegations and mocked the Congress leader while speaking to news agency ANI. "He ran away from Guwahati yesterday," Sarma stated, adding that the law would take its course and expressing dismissiveness through the phrase, "Pawan Khera, Pawan peda ban jaayega."
The Chief Minister has rejected the claims against his wife and announced his intention to file a defamation case against Khera. Since the row erupted, Sarma’s rhetoric has frequently bordered on the unparliamentary, reflecting the intense friction between the two parties just forty-eight hours before the state goes to the polls. This police intervention and the subsequent recovery of documents underscore a significant legal and political escalation that could weigh heavily on the impending electoral mandate.
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