Pawan Khera arrest: Supreme Court grants interim bail; to hear plea on FIRs on February 28
By Team Newsable | First Published Feb 23, 2023, 4:06 PM ISTThe Congress leader was arrested in connection with an FIR over alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the action coming soon after he was deplaned from a flight to Raipur where he was going to attend the party’s plenary session.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (February 23) granted interim bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera till February 28 soon after he was arrested by Assam Police earlier today. The top court also issued notices to Assam and Uttar Pradesh Police on Khera seeking clubbing of FIRs, and said that Khera will be released on interim bail by Dwaraka court till the next hearing.
The Congress leader was arrested in connection with an FIR over alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the action coming soon after he was deplaned from a flight to Raipur where he was going to attend the party’s plenary session.
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The apex court issued notices to the states of Assam and Uttar Pradesh seeking their responses on Khera's plea seeking clubbing of multiple FIRs lodged against him at Assam, Lucknow and Varanasi for his alleged remarks against the prime minister.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Khera, said the Congress leader had apologised for his remarks on the prime minister on the very same day and the offences alleged against him in these FIRs do not require arrest. He said the choice of words used and the sections invoked against him do not match the offences alleged.
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Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Assam Police, played the audio-video clip of the alleged remarks in the open court and said Khera cannot use such "derogatory words" against a democratically elected prime minister of the country.
Khera was arrested at the Delhi airport after being deplaned from a flight to Raipur in connection with his alleged remarks against Modi, made at a press conference on February 17 at Mumbai.
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The Delhi Police said he was detained at the request of the Assam Police. Khera, against whom a case has been registered in Assam, was asked by the Delhi Police to deplane.
Congress leaders accompanying him sat on the tarmac in protest and resisted efforts to take him away without an arrest warrant. Senior Delhi Police officials later handed them a document from the Assam Police seeking their help in arresting Khera.
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