Action follows after Himanta’s wife lodges FIR in Assam
An Assam Police team on Tuesday reached the Delhi residence of Congress leader Pawan Khera and conducted a search in connection with a case linked to allegations made against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family, officials said.
Speaking to reporters outside the residence, Assam Police DCP Debojit Nath said Khera was not found at his house. However, he said a search was carried out and electronic devices were seized. He added that some “incriminating material” was found, though details could not be disclosed at this stage. The case has been registered at the Crime Branch Police Station in Guwahati.
The whereabouts of Khera were not immediately known, and police said he would be traced. The Assam Police team formally informed Delhi Police upon arrival, following which a local police team assisted in the proceedings, official sources said. The development comes amid a political tussle after Khera alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, possessed three passports and that information regarding her assets had been concealed in election affidavits.
Rejecting the allegations, Sarma accused the Congress of using “false information” sourced from a Pakistani social media group to level “baseless and malicious” charges. He termed it an attempt to influence the Assam elections and said it was a punishable offence. An FIR was subsequently registered based on a complaint against Khera over his statements.
The police action also follows a criminal defamation case filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma over the allegations that she held multiple passports, including those of India, the UAE and Egypt—claims denied by the family.
‘Disturbed, desperate, rattled’, says Congress
Meanwhile, the Congress sharpened its attack on the Assam chief minister, alleging misuse of state machinery. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said the move showed Sarma was “disturbed, desperate, and rattled”.
In a post on X, Ramesh said deployment of a large number of police personnel against an opposition leader for raising questions in public interest amounted to a “witch hunt” and an attempt to silence dissent.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also questioned the police action, asking the chief minister to respond to the allegations instead of “threatening” critics. “Serious corruption allegations have been made… Please respond to them… Why is your police coming to Delhi to threaten?” she said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called on the Centre to probe the allegations, urging that claims regarding foreign assets and multiple passports be investigated.
The controversy stems from a press conference by Khera, where he alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma held three passports and owned undisclosed assets abroad. The Sarma family has rejected the claims, terming the documents “AI-generated fabrications” and “doctored images”.
Sarma also denied allegations regarding properties in Dubai and reiterated claims of “Pakistani links” involving Congress leaders, questioning the source of the documents cited by the party.
The political row intensified further with both sides trading charges, even as police continued their probe into the case and efforts to locate Khera.