Pawan Khera absconding to evade arrest, says Assam CM

Guwahati, April 7 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the allegations made by Congress leader Pawan Khera regarding his wife’s alleged foreign passports have been “completely exposed as lies”.

Speaking to reporters, CM Sarma asserted that the governments of all three countries mentioned in the allegations had rejected the claims that his wife held their passports. “The Congress lies are now fully exposed. All three countries have denied the claims made by Pawan Khera,” he said.

The Chief Minister further stated that the Assam Police had visited Khera’s residence as part of the investigation, but alleged that the Congress leader was not found there.

“Assam Police went to Pawan Khera’s residence, but he absconded,” CM Sarma claimed.

He also alleged that Khera may have fled to Hyderabad to evade questioning. “He has probably run away to Hyderabad,” CM Sarma added.

The Chief Minister maintained that the allegations were politically motivated and aimed at defaming him and his family ahead of the elections. He said the state government would pursue the matter legally and ensure that those spreading misinformation are held accountable.

The controversy erupted after Khera accused Sarma’s wife of holding multiple foreign passports, a charge strongly denied by the Chief Minister and his family.

Notably, Assam Police arrived at Congress leader Pawan Khera's residence in Delhi on Tuesday amid the controversy over the party's claim that Chief Minister Sarma's wife holds three passports. The searches came after Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, lodged an FIR over the issue on Monday.

Earlier, CM Sarma, during a press conference in Guwahati, had also vowed to take "strictest action" against Pawan Khera over the issue.

He had strongly refuted allegations linking his family to property ownership in Dubai, calling the claims "completely fake" and part of what he described as a misinformation campaign by Congress.

In a post on X, Sarma said that documents being circulated online, purportedly showing Dubai property title deeds linked to his family, were fabricated and riddled with inconsistencies.

"Busting another lie of #CongFakeAICampaign. The Dubai property title deeds have also turned out to be FAKE with glaring inconsistencies and no authentic record," he wrote.

The Chief Minister further asserted that there was no official record to support the claims and encouraged people to verify the facts independently through Dubai's official land records portal.

He added that all allegations made in this regard stand "thoroughly debunked".

Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi and Pawan Khera, have recently raised questions regarding alleged foreign assets and links of the Chief Minister's family, including claims about Dubai properties and foreign documents.

These allegations have been categorically denied by the Chief Minister and his family members. Sarma's wife, Riniki, has also rejected claims of any foreign business interests or assets, terming the accusations "baseless".