Pawan Khera questioned for over 10 hours in Assam passport case, asked to appear again today

Congress leader Pawan Khera was questioned for more than 10 hours on May 13 by the Assam Police Crime Branch in connection with cases filed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma over alleged remarks relating to passports and foreign properties.

Khera appeared before the Crime Branch office in Guwahati after being summoned to join the investigation. The cases were registered after Khera allegedly accused the Chief Minister of possessing multiple passports and undisclosed properties abroad.

Speaking to reporters after the questioning, Khera said he had fully cooperated with investigators and had been asked to appear again on Thursday morning.

“I am fully cooperating and I have been asked to come again on May 14 at 9:30 AM and I will come,” Khera said.

He also described himself as a law-abiding citizen and said it was his duty to cooperate with the investigation.

Earlier in the day, before entering the Crime Branch office, Khera said he believed in due process and respected the law and judiciary.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma later said the law would take its own course and alleged that Khera had violated constitutional norms by writing to foreign governments seeking action against him.

“The police investigations will not take long, and they will be able to submit the chargesheet within the stipulated time,” Sarma said at a press conference earlier in the day.

The Chief Minister added that continued cooperation from Khera would help speed up submission of the chargesheet or final report, while non-cooperation could delay the process.

The Assam Police Crime Branch had earlier registered cases against Khera under various provisions, including allegations of making false statements during an election period, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, intentional insult intended to provoke breach of peace, and defamation.

The matter has already seen multiple rounds of legal proceedings. Khera had initially secured interim anticipatory bail from the Telangana High Court, which was later challenged by Assam Police in the Supreme Court. The apex court subsequently transferred the matter to the Gauhati High Court.

The Gauhati High Court later rejected Khera’s anticipatory bail plea, following which he again approached the Supreme Court. The apex court eventually granted him anticipatory bail, observing that the case appeared to have arisen out of political rivalry.