SC clubs, transfers 3 FIRs lodged against Pawan Khera to Lucknow

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday clubbed three FIRs lodged against Congress leader Pawan Khera in Assam and Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and transferred the matter to the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow while extending his interim bail to April 10.

Khera will be at liberty to apply for regular bail before the jurisdictional court in Lucknow, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said.

“We order and direct that the FIRs registered at Police Station Cantt at Varanasi and at PS Halflong in Assam shall stand transferred to Police Station Hazratganj. The ad-interim order (of interim bail) which was passed by this court on February 23, 2023 (extended by the orders dated February 27, March 3) shall be extended for the further period till April 10,” the bench, also having Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, said.

The apex court, from time to time, had been extending the interim bail of Khera who was arrested by the Assam Police on February 23 in connection with his alleged remarks against Modi made at a press conference in Mumbai on February 17.

The Congress spokesperson was arrested from the Delhi airport.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, referring to the rejoinder filed by Khera, alleged that the leader himself has not tendered an unconditional apology and in rejoinder, he said that he did no wrong.