Congress leader Pawan Khera's pre-arrest bail hearing in the Telangana High Court over a complaint filed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma turned heated on Thursday, with lawyers of both sides using phrases like "constitutional cowboys" and "international khiladi" to make their arguments before the court.
Pawan Khera, a Congress spokesperson, moved the high court after the Assam Police filed a case against him over his allegation that Sarma and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma possessed clandestine foreign passports and overseas assets.
Based on a complaint by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the police filed charges of forgery, cheating, criminal intimidation, conspiracy, and defamation against the Congress leader.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Pawan Khera, alleged that the FIR had been loaded with every possible charge to exert pressure on a political opponent. He argued that even if the Congress leader's statements turned out to be wrong, the case was one of defamation, and there was no reason to arrest him.
He said that the politician was ready to cooperate.
“Khera is not absconding. He is ready to cooperate. He came to this court only because he was in Hyderabad with his wife when he learnt about the FIR,” Singhvi said.
Attacking the Assam government's action, Singhvi argued: "If you start arresting people for this, it will become a jungle raj".
"We are not living in the age of constitutional cowboys, pulling out powers from the holster and sending 100 policemen from Assam for what is essentially a defamation complaint," he added.
Responding strongly to Singhvi's arguments, Assam's Advocate General Devajit Saikia contended that his state wasn't a "banana republic". He argued that Khera should have moved a court in Assam or Delhi -- where the Congress leader resides -- instead of approaching the Telangana High Court.
Saikia called Khera an “international khiladi (player)”, saying he left the national capital before the Assam police reached his house and reached Hyderabad. He claimed foreign currency had been seized from Khera's Delhi house and that 19 cases were pending against him across the country.
Claiming that Khera was a flight risk, the lawyer stated that he didn't deserve protection from any legal action.
After hearing both sides, the Telangana High Court reserved its order for Friday.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/CSclyXw
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