Telangana High Court Grants Week-Long Relief to Pawan Khera Amid Passport Allegation Row

The legal firestorm originated from a press conference conducted by Khera on April 4, 2026, where he leveled explosive allegations against Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Khera claimed that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds three passports from different nations and further alleged that Chief Minister Sarma was involved in various illegal activities. In swift retaliation, an FIR was registered by the Guwahati Crime Branch on April 5 based on a complaint filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, leading to a police search of Khera’s Delhi residence on April 7.

While Khera moved a criminal petition before the Telangana High Court the same day seeking anticipatory bail, he characterized the FIR as a tool to silence, harass, and intimidate him, alleging "political vendetta" and "ulterior motive" behind the proceedings. However, the respondent Assam Police fiercely objected to the petition’s maintainability, citing a complex jurisdictional overlap: the FIR

was registered in Assam, the accused remains a permanent resident of Delhi, and the plea was moved in Telangana.

This legal standoff, which saw the Telangana High Court previously reserve orders on what was described as a battle between a "constitutional cowboy vs international khiladi," highlights the intense friction between political speech and legal accountability. By granting this one-week window with specific conditions, the court has temporarily de-escalated a volatile situation that underscores the deepening judicial and political divide surrounding allegations of administrative and personal impropriety.