Pawan Khera
Supreme Court allows Congress leader Pawan Khera's release on interim bail
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the release of senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on interim bail by a Delhi court this evening, media reports said.
The Congress had moved the Supreme Court after Pawan Khera was arrested by Assam Police at Delhi airport.
Congress Counsel senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi approached the Supreme Court over the matter, India Today reported.
He sought SC’s direction to club all FIRs against Khera into one.
Singhvi sought interim relief for Pawan Khera and consolidation of FIR since several are being registered across the country.
Singhvi, also a Rajya Sabha MP from Congress, apprised the Supreme Court that the Congress leader has apologised and said that it was a mistake, a slip of tongue, said the report.
However, the lawyer appearing for Assam Police informed the Supreme Court that Pawan Khera had been arrested and will be produced before the court for transit remand, the report stated.
According to the report, the Supreme Court order stated that the petitioner is the chairperson of the media and publicity department of the Indian National Congress.
The court noted that Pawan Khera held a press conference in Mumbai and on February 20, a complaint was lodged in Lucknow for offences under Sections 153a, 500, 504, 505A of the Indian Penal Code. On February 22, another FIR was registered in Varanasi.
“Dr Singhvi states that the petitioner has clarified that the statement was erroneous and he would not stand by such statement and that he will unconditionally apologise for the statement since it was not his intent to be personally offensive by using the statement,” CJI Chandrachud said, India Today report.
The apex court accepted that taken on their face value, the spoken words by Pawan Khera did not lead to the sections under which the FIR has been lodged. The court ordered the transfer and clubbing of all FIRs registered against Khera, said the report.
“In order to protect the petitioner until he applies for regular bail before the jurisdictional court in relation to all FIRs, we direct till the next date of listing the petitioner shall be released on interim bail by Delhi Court this evening,” the Supreme Court order said, according to India Today.
Khera was booked under various FIRs registered at police stations in Lucknow, Varanasi and Assam for his alleged disparaging comments about PM Modi at a press briefing on the Adani-Hindenburg row on February 17.
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