High drama ensued at the Delhi Airport on Thursday as Congress leader Pawan Khera was arrested by the Assam Police after being asked to deplane from a Raipur-bound Indigo flight. The Congress leaders, who were on their way to Chhattisgarh to attend the three-day plenary session of the party, sat on the tarmac and began sloganeering and protesting against the “arbitrary” action by the police.
Khera, who has been booked in three FIRs under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, was held on the request of the Assam police. However, the Congress acted swiftly to seek an urgent hearing in the Supreme Court seeking interim bail and clubbing of the different FIRs.
Appearing for Khera, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud who asked him to mention the matter at 3 pm.
“He made some statement which he could have avoided making. He was whisked away by police. We are seeking consolidation of first information reports (FIRs) since several are being registered across the country,” Singhvi said, seeking an urgent hearing in the matter.
The CJI, then went on to ask Singhvi: “Who is Mr Pawan Khera?”
Singhvi then informed the CJI that Pawan Khera is a spokesperson of the Congress party and regularly interacts with the press and makes statements etc on behalf of the party. “Please mention at 3 PM,” the CJI said.
Later in the day, the Supreme Court directed the Dwarka court in Delhi to grant interim bail to Khera till Tuesday. The court, issuing notice to the states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam, where FIRs have been registered against him, also took on record in its order the undertaking given by Singhvi that Khera will issue an unconditional apology for the statement.
Addressing a press conference on February 17, Khera botched up Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s middle name, a gesture that the BJP immediately saw as a deliberate insult in wake of the Adani-Hindenburg row. Although Khera apologised for the apparent goof-up and corrected himself, the damage had already been done.
Khera now faces charges under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
The next date of hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28.