Assam Police Team Reaches Hyderabad to Trace Pawan Khera in Defamation Case
The FIR was based on a complaint by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the Chief Minister’s wife
Hyderabad: The Assam Crime Branch police on Tuesday reportedly reached Hyderabad in connection with an FIR filed against Congress leader Pawan Khera over alleged forgery and defamation, believing that he was in the city. He has been booked for levelling allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s family.
The FIR was based on a complaint by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the Chief Minister’s wife, accusing Khera of levelling “false and fabricated” claims that she held citizenship or passports from several countries, including Egypt and Antigua and Barbuda, and possessed a “golden card” issued by the United Arab Emirates.
He had also allegedly claimed that she had undisclosed foreign assets and links to a company based in Wyoming, United States, according to the FIR. Denying the allegations, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma alleged that the documents that Khera had displayed during his two press conferences were forged, with fabricated seals and QR codes designed to resemble official records.
The FIR mentioned the wide circulation of these claims across digital platforms, which allegedly triggered public backlash, online harassment, and reputational damage to Riniki Bhuyan Sharma and her family. It was noted that the allegations had been levelled ahead of the Assam Assembly elections on April 9.
Chief Minister Sarma stated that the Assam Police had visited Khera’s residence in Delhi as part of the investigation into the matter, but alleged that the Congress leader was not found there. He alleged that Khera may have fled to Hyderabad to evade questioning. The Assam police team reportedly went to Khera's house in Banjara Hills as well as his wife's party office.
