The row over an FIR against Pawan Khera escalated on Tuesday after a team of the Assam Police conducted a search at his Delhi residence amid the ongoing controversy over the passport(s) of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife.The police seized electronic devices and claimed to have found “incriminating material”, even as the Congress termed the action a “witch hunt”.Confirming the development, Debojit Nath, ACP, Assam Police, said a case had been registered at the Crime Branch police station in Guwahati and the team had arrived in Delhi in connection with the probe.“We wanted Khera in connection with the case. But when we came in search of him, he was not found and his house was searched. We found some incriminating material, which cannot be disclosed at this stage. Electronic devices have been seized. His whereabouts are currently unknown, but he will be traced,” Nath said.The Assam Police’s action in Delhi is part of the investigation into an FIR registered against Khera, which stems from allegations made by the Congress leader regarding multiple passports purportedly held by Sarma’s wife.Sources said the Assam Police team, assisted by the Delhi Police as per inter-state procedure, searched the premises but did not find Khera.Several Congress leaders came out in support of Khera, calling police action a witch hunt. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said, “The deployment of a full army of police officials to arrest my colleague Pawan Khera for asking basic questions in the public interest proves that the Assam CM is disturbed, desperate and rattled.”“This is not due process but a witch hunt, a bully using state machinery to muzzle and silence the voice of the Opposition that is exposing his many black deeds. Those who intimidate are the ones who are afraid and have much to hide. It also proves that the CM is facing imminent defeat.”Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “You are facing serious charges of corruption and you are clearly rattled. Why don’t you answer the charges levelled by Pawan Khera instead of resorting to name calling and intimidation? Stop your theatrics, because you can no longer hide your corruption.”Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda said, “When the Chief Minister of Assam had levelled allegations against Gaurav Gogoi, the Assam Police did not raid the CM’s residence; instead, an SIT was constituted to investigate the allegations. But when Khera levelled allegations against the CM, the Assam Police showed up at his Delhi residence for a raid and attempted to arrest him.”“The Election Commission should take strict notice of this attempt to silence the Opposition through such dictatorial tactics in the middle of elections; and the serious allegations levelled against the Chief Minister should be investigated,” Hooda said.Meanwhile, Sarma said that Khera had “run away to Hyderabad”, further intensifying the political confrontation linked to the FIR.The FIR was registered following a complaint filed by Himanta’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma with the Crime Branch of the Guwahati Police Commissionerate, accusing Khera of making false and defamatory allegations.Rejecting the allegations, Riniki termed them as “completely false” and said the documents cited were fabricated. She alleged that the purported passports were “AI-generated and photoshopped”.Sarma has also announced plans to initiate both civil and criminal defamation cases against Khera, describing the allegations as “malicious, fabricated and politically motivated”.