The Assam government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Telangana High Court’s order granting interim protection to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case linked to his allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife.

The petition, filed on Sunday through advocate Shuvodeep Roy, is likely to come up for hearing this week.

On April 10, the Telangana High Court granted Khera one-week transit anticipatory bail, allowing him time to seek relief from the appropriate court in Assam. The court provided interim protection subject to certain conditions.

"Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court is of the view that the petitioner has made out a case for grant of limited transit anticipatory bail, as his apprehension of arrest appears to be reasonable and supported by material on record," the high court had said in its order.

The court directed that in the event of arrest, Khera be released on bail upon executing a personal bond of Rs one lakh with two sureties of the same amount. It also required him to cooperate with the investigation, remain available for questioning, and not leave the country without prior permission of the competent court.

Additional conditions stipulated that Khera must approach the jurisdictional court in Assam within the specified period to seek appropriate relief. The order further noted that, being a public figure, he should exercise restraint in making public statements related to the case that could prejudice the investigation.

The case stems from allegations made by Khera on April 5, in which he claimed that the Assam CM’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds multiple passports and owns foreign property not disclosed in the chief minister’s election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls.

Following the allegations, a case was registered against Khera at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 175 (false statement in connection with an election), 35 (right of private defence of the body and property), and 318 (cheating).

Khera, who approached the high court on April 7 and listed his residential address in Hyderabad, had sought anticipatory bail citing apprehension of arrest.