Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera appeared before the Guwahati Crime Branch in connection with a forgery
May 13, 2026: Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Wednesday appeared before the Guwahati Crime Branch for questioning in a forgery and defamation case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The case was registered after Khera alleged that Sharma possessed multiple passports and undisclosed foreign assets, while also sharing documents later claimed to be forged. Assam Police booked him under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to forgery, cheating, defamation and use of forged documents.
Khera arrived at the Crime Branch office with his legal team and submitted documents connected to the allegations. His lawyer, Advocate Ritam Singh, said Khera appeared before investigators in compliance with Supreme Court directions issued while granting anticipatory bail. Speaking briefly before entering the office, Khera said he respected the law and judicial process and had cooperated with the investigation from the beginning.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma later said Assam Police would file the chargesheet within the stipulated time if Khera continued to cooperate with the probe. The case has seen multiple legal developments, including transit anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court, later stayed by the Supreme Court. On May 1, the apex court granted Khera anticipatory bail while observing that the allegations and counter-allegations appeared politically motivated, though it clarified that the observation would not affect the investigation or trial.