The Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant interim protection to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case linked to allegations made against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, and asked him to approach a competent court in Assam for anticipatory bail.

Khera had sought protection from possible coercive action till April 20 in connection with the case registered against him.

A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar considered submissions made by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, but declined to entertain the plea. The bench, however, directed that the Assam court hearing Khera’s application should not be influenced by any adverse remarks, if any, made earlier by the Supreme Court or the Telangana High Court.

The apex court also asked courts in Assam to hear Khera’s plea expeditiously.

On April 15, the Supreme Court had stayed a Telangana High Court order that granted Khera one-week transit anticipatory bail in the matter.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Assam government, argued that the Telangana High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction. He also submitted that Khera’s plea did not explain why he had approached the Telangana High Court.

The controversy stems from a press conference held on April 5, where Khera alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, possessed multiple passports and foreign property that were not disclosed in Sarma’s election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls.

The Chief Minister and his wife rejected the allegations, calling them false and fabricated.

The case against Khera was registered at Guwahati Crime Branch police station under sections 175 (false statement in connection with an election), 35 (right of private defence of the body and of property), and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.