It began with a press conference. Now, the cops are involved.
On Day 3, the Assam Police are still searching for Congress leader Pawan Khera in connection with the allegations he made against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan, barely days before polls in the northeastern state.
Khera, the Congress' Media and Publicity Department head, held two press conferences on April 5: one in Delhi and another in Guwahati.
The Congress leader alleged that Sarma's wife has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the Chief Minister's election affidavit.
The allegations were rejected as "false, fabricated and malicious" by the Sarmas.
On a complaint by the Chief Minister's wife, the case was registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station against Khera under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 175 (false statement in connection with an election), Section 35 (Right of private defence of the body and of property) and Section 318 (cheating).
Early on Tuesday morning, the state police landed at Khera's Delhi home. The Congress leader was away in Hyderabad.
The Chief Minister asserted that Khera had "run away" to Hyderabad, but the Assam Police will "hunt him down even from 'pataal (netherworld)'."
NDTV has managed to access the details of the FIR copy.
The FIR states that the allegations were not random and called it a "part of a planned exercise".
It says the statements were "preceded and accompanied by promotional posts and visual materials" and were circulated widely across social media platforms.
The FIR quotes Khera's opening remarks, saying he claimed that "some supporters have sent sensational documents from abroad" and that a "big expose" was being made against a sitting Chief Minister and his family.
Sarma on Tuesday slammed the Congress for "not verifying" the documents based on which it levelled allegations against him and his family.
In a recorded video addressed to the Assam chief minister from an undisclosed location, Khera on Wednesday accused the BJP leader of "unleashing" the state police on him instead of addressing the opposition party's questions.
"Our party had only asked you some questions. Why do you want to silence us? We have asked questions; give us the replies," Khera said.
"Instead of replying, you are hurling abuses at everyone, you have set the police after me. I am not afraid of them. But I am avoiding them as I have more questions to ask," Khera added.
The complainant has claimed that the documents shown were "fake, doctored, forged and fabricated with forged seals and QR codes" and that no such passports or assets were ever applied for or existed in her name.
The FIR states that the allegations were made with "deliberate malice, criminal intent and with full knowledge of the grave consequences".
The statements, records the FIR, were made just days before polling.
"It was done to mislead citizens, disturb public tranquillity and influence the electoral process," it added.
The complainant has also stated that the circulation of these claims led to trolling, abuse and mental distress. The FIR adds that such statements in a charged election atmosphere can "create public alarm, inflame passions and poison the democratic atmosphere".
The FIR says that the speech by the Congress leader was not a political speech, but a "coordinated publicity exercise intended to secure maximum public damage" using false material.
