Assam Police team visits Khera’s Delhi residence

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday (April 7, 2026) declared that the Assam Police will catch Congress leader Pawan Khera, even from the “paatal (the netherworld)”, to find out who gave him allegedly forged documents that maligned Mr. Sarma’s family.

At a press conference on Sunday (April 5, 2026), Mr. Khera had claimed that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, an entrepreneur and wife of the Assam CM, held three foreign passports, undeclared luxury properties in Dubai, and shell companies in the United States.

After Ms. Sharma filed a first information report (FIR) against Mr. Khera at the Assam police crime branch in Guwahati, an Assam police team landed at the Congress leader’s New Delhi residence to question him, but found that he was not at home. Reports indicate that Mr. Khera is in Congress-ruled Telangana, where the Assam police team will need the local police’s permission to carry out an investigation.

“Assam Police ko nahi jante hain… Pataal se bhi ukhar ke le ayega (They don’t know the Assam Police… they will hunt him down even from the netherworld),” Mr. Sarma told reporters in Sivasagar.

Both the CM and his wife dismissed Mr. Khera’s claims as “fabricated” and threatened to sue the Congress leader within 48 hours, with Mr. Sarma claiming that the allegations were made with the malafide intention of vitiating the electoral atmosphere.

Congress seeks ED, CBI probes

Asked about Mr. Khera’s allegations at a press conference in Guwahati, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “They have already filed an FIR against Khera. Let them probe the matter. We will face the case as it progresses. We have sought probes by the [Enforcement Directorate] ED or the [Central Bureau of Investigation] CBI into the allegations.”

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh also came to Mr. Khera’s defence, saying the deployment of a “full army of police officials” to arrest his colleague “for asking basic questions in the public interest” proves that the Assam CM is “disturbed, desperate, and rattled.”

“This is not due process but instead a witch hunt, a bully using state machinery to muzzle and silence the voice of the Opposition that is exposing his many black deeds. Those who intimidate are the ones who are afraid and have much to hide,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X.

Devices seized at Khera residence

Assam Police Deputy Commissioner (Crime) Debajit Nath, assisted by the Delhi police, had led a team to look for Mr. Khera at his residence in the Nizamuddin area. “The team did not find him at his residence,” a senior Assam police officer said. However, a search was carried out and electronic devices were seized. The Assam police officer claimed that “incriminating” evidence was found.

On Monday, the Congress had petitioned the Election Commission to cancel Mr. Sarma’s candidature, alleging that he deliberately did not mention his wife’s alleged offshore assets in his election affidavit. In the upcoming Assembly poll, the Assam CM is contesting the Jalukbari constituency, which he has held since the 2001 election.