Pataal se bhi khod ke le aayega: Himanta Sarma escalates face-off with Pawan Khera

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lashed out at senior Congress leader Pawan Khera over corruption allegations against his family, vowing that police would track him down, even from 'pataal' (hell).

In Short

• Pawan Khera alleges Assam CM's wife holds multiple passports, undeclared assets
• CM Himanta Sarma vows to trace Khera even if he hides in deepest abyss
• Assam police search Khera's Delhi residence, seize electronic devices

Amid a heated political row in Assam over Congress leader Pawan Khera’s allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family, the BJP leader said the state police would track him down and “drag him out” even if he hid in the “deepest abyss”. The CM’s remarks came after an Assam Police team reached Khera’s residence earlier today, only to find him absent.

Khera, on Sunday, alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds multiple passports and owns foreign properties that were not declared in the Chief Minister’s election affidavit. This drew a sharp response from Sarma, who claimed that the documents being used to target him were sourced from Pakistani social media handles.

“Do you not know the Assam Police? Pataal se bhi khod ke le aayegi (we will drag him out even from the depths of the netherworld). Where is Pawan Khera hiding? This is the land of Assam. Who exactly does he think he is? Pataal mein bhi chup gaya toh hum utha ke le aayenge (Even if he hides in the deepest abyss, we will bring him back),” Sarma said in a fiery response.

Earlier in the day, Sarma claimed that Khera had “run away” to Hyderabad after daring the state police to arrest him in connection with a case linked to his allegations.

An Assam Police team had earlier visited Khera’s Delhi residence for questioning. Sarma said, “I don’t know why they went, as he had already run away yesterday. Till yesterday, Khera was saying ‘arrest me’, and now when the police reached his home, he ran away.”

Speaking to reporters outside the Congress leader’s house, Assam Police DCP Debojit Nath said Khera was not found at his residence. However, he confirmed that a search was conducted and electronic devices were seized. Some “incriminating material” was found, but details cannot be disclosed at this stage.

Meanwhile, senior Assam Police officials reiterated that a search was carried out and electronic devices were seized. Some “incriminating material” was recovered, though details remain undisclosed, the officer added.

The whereabouts of the Congress leader are currently unknown, but he will be traced, the Deputy Commissioner of Police said.

In poll-bound Assam, Khera’s allegations have significantly escalated the political temperature. He claimed that Sarma’s wife had three passports and that information about her assets was concealed in the CM’s election affidavit.

Hitting back, Sarma alleged that the Congress used “false information” sourced from a Pakistani social media group to level “baseless” and “malicious” allegations against his wife. He termed it an attempt to influence the Assam elections and a punishable offence.

Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.

- Ends