In a major setback for Pawan Khera, a Lucknow Court has recently rejected the discharge application moved by the Congress leader in the criminal case over his alleged defamatory statements made at a Press Conference against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The local court’s order follows after the Supreme Court dismissed the Congress leader’s plea to quash First Information Reports against him. Hrishikesh Pandey, Chief Judicial Magistrate stated in the order passed on January 5 that there were adequate grounds to begin Pawan Khera’s trial for the offences alleged against him. Accordingly, the local court listed the matter on January 16, 2024 for framing charges against the Congress leader.
In February 2023, the Congress leader reportedly uttered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s full name as Gautam Das instead of Damodar Das during a press conference in Mumbai demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee into Adani stock manipulation issue. Several FIRs were lodged against him in Assam, Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow and Varanasi alleging that the Congress leader deliberately ridiculed the late father of the Prime Minister of India.
Following his arrest by Assam Police at Delhi airport on February 23, 2023, Pawan Khera approached the Supreme Court, the same day. Consecutively, the apex court directed the Delhi Court to grant interim bail to the Congress leader. On February 27,the Supreme Court extended the interim protection granted to Khera which came to be further extended later.
Later on March 20, 2023, the Supreme Court clubbed all FIRs filed against Pawan Khera to Hazratganj police station at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and ordered to treat the Lucknow FIR as leading matter.
Following, Congress leader Pawan Khera filed a plea before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court to quash and stay proceedings in the three First Information Reports (FIR) lodged at Lucknow, Varanasi, and Dima Hasao (Assam).