Congress Hails Bail to Pawan Khera: "Win for Personal Liberty"

Spread love

Singhvi says arrest must be last resort; Jairam Ramesh calls verdict a sign that “flame of justice” remains alive

By TRH Political Desk

New Delhi, May 1, 2026 — The Congress on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision granting anticipatory bail to senior party leader Pawan Khera in a case registered by Assam Police, saying the ruling reinforces faith in the judiciary and upholds the primacy of personal liberty.

Addressing a press conference, party general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh and senior leader and MP Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the verdict sends a clear message that arrest must be a “last resort” and not a routine response, particularly in defamation-related cases.

Welcoming the order, Ramesh said, “The flame of justice is very much alive in our country,” while reiterating the party’s consistent trust in judicial institutions.

Singhvi underlined that the judgment reaffirms the “triple test” for arrest—risk of flight, tampering with evidence, or influencing witnesses. “Unless these conditions are met, arrest becomes a tool for humiliation, harassment and political point-scoring,” he said.

He stressed that the party was not celebrating but drawing broader lessons from the ruling, noting that “be you ever so high, the law is above you,” and that faith in the judiciary ultimately safeguards individual rights.

Highlighting the legal journey of the case, Singhvi said it moved across multiple forums—from a magistrate’s court in Assam’s Kamrup district to the Telangana High Court, the Gauhati High Court, and the Supreme Court—demonstrating sustained reliance on due process.

He pointed out that a local magistrate had earlier rejected the Assam government’s plea for arrest as “fanciful, speculative and unsubstantiated,” calling it an example of judicial checks against executive overreach.

Singhvi also noted that most charges in the case were bailable and questioned the need for custodial interrogation. He added that the Supreme Court had flagged certain observations in the Gauhati High Court order as going beyond the scope of the FIR.

Referring to the political context, Singhvi said the ruling recognises the need for reasonable latitude in political speech within a democracy.

The Congress leader also criticised remarks attributed to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as inappropriate, while urging greater responsibility in public discourse.

He further noted that the Solicitor General did not defend those remarks in court, calling it a significant aspect of the proceedings.

Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn