Supreme Court Grants Interim Bail for Congress Leader Pawan Khera
On Thursday, the Assam Police arrested senior Congress leader Pawan Khera from the Delhi airport for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a press conference. However, the Supreme Court directed a court in Dwarka to grants interim bail to Khera and ordered his release.
What was Pawan Khera booked under?
Khera had referred to the Prime Minister as “Narendra Modi” while speaking at a press conference in Delhi. Recently to demand an investigation by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) against the Gautam Adani Group.
A BJP member in Assam, Samuel Changsan, lodged a complaint against Congress leader Pawan Khera, which led to the registration of an FIR at the Haflong police station, Dima Hasao on Wednesday. Authorities had charged Khera with multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code.
And what happened in Supreme Court?
Khera’s petition seeking consolidation of FIRs filed against him in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam prompted the SC to issue notices to the concerned states. Moreover, the SC granted Khera interim bail. The court accepted that, taken on their face value, the spoken words did not lead to the sections invoked in the FIR.
The order issued by the court expressed a leaning towards examining the petition that pertained solely to the consolidation of the FIRs.
CJI Chandrachud said, “We will protect you, but there has to be some level of discourse…”
Appearing for Khera, senior Advocate AS Singhvi told the court that Khera had apologised. He said that the remarks were a “slip of tongue”. During the proceedings, Assam’s Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati argued that Khera had made the statement intentionally. She claimed that his “demeanour” indicated his intent.
Who is Pawan Khera?
Khera began his political life in Udaipur in the 1980s as a Youth Congress activist. He was a key aide of former Delhi Chief Minister late Sheila Dikshit for a long time. In 2018, Khera became the television face of the Congress and was promoted to national spokesperson that same year. Last year, the Congress appointed him Chairman of the Media & Publicity Department.
