Rush Hour: Khera gets anticipatory bail, HC says EC can use central staff for vote counting & more

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The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case filed by the Assam Police. The bench passed its verdict on a petition challenging an April 24 Gauhati High Court order denying him anticipatory bail.

The Supreme Court held that the High Court’s observations were “erroneous” as they had shifted “the burden on the accused”. It also remarked that the allegations and counter-allegations in the matter appeared to be politically motivated, and did not constitute a situation that would warrant custodial interrogation.

Khera has been accused of defamation, forgery and criminal conspiracy by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, for claiming that she holds passports of multiple countries. Read on.

The Calcutta High Court dismissed the Trinamool Congress’ petition challenging the Election Commission’s decision to deploy Union government employees as counting supervisors during the West Bengal Assembly election results. The votes will be counted on Monday.

On Wednesday, the state chief electoral officer directed that at least one person at every counting station must be a Union government employee. The state’s ruling...

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