3 min readGuwahatiApr 6, 2026 02:44 PM IST
Challenging the authenticity of the documents the Congress used on Sunday to level allegations against his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has now alleged a “Pakistan angle” in the opposition’s claims.
On Sunday, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera shared, in a press conference, purported images of what he alleged were three passports in Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s name, issued by the United Arab Emirates, Antigua & Barbuda, and Egypt. He also shared images of documents that purportedly showed properties in her name in the UAE and a company registered in Wyoming, United States, which he said were not disclosed in Sarma’s affidavit.
Late Sunday night, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma filed a complaint with the Crime Branch of the Assam police on the grounds that the purported images are “AI-generated and photoshopped”.
Before hitting the campaign trail on Monday, CM Sarma, who had yesterday said that the claims are “false” and “politically motivated”, addressed a press conference.
He claimed that while conducting their research, his team performed a reverse Google search on the ID number of the alleged UAE document and found that the original belonged to an Egyptian national, whose image had been shared on a “Pakistani” Facebook group as a lost document.
He claimed that a similar reverse search on the MRZ code on the purported Egyptian document shows that the original document belongs to another woman. He also claimed that the documents contain discrepancies, such as a mismatch in the birth year, and that one of the alleged passports lists the place of birth as “Indian”. The photos, he alleged, have been doctored.
He said that the Union government has sought clarification from the governments of the three countries, and that the governments of the UAE and Antigua & Barbuda have indicated that the documents are not genuine, while the government of Egypt has yet to respond.
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He also denied the Congress claim that the family had set up a limited liability company (LLC) in Wyoming, USA. He claimed that a company called ‘Hrinikinandi LLC’ had been registered just two days before the Congress press conference, while another similarly named company was registered after the Congress press conference.
“We had not even imagined that Tarun Gogoi’s son could stoop so low, and I’m sure that this conspiracy they have done will fail. I believe that the law, too, will take firm measures against this kind of conspiracy before the election. Before elections, this kind of false information to influence election results is a criminal offence with a punishment of life imprisonment,” he said.
The Indian Express reached out to Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi on the latest development. He responded, saying, “Himanta Biswa Sarma should answer these questions: Does the wife of Himanta Sarma hold a Golden visa for Dubai? Is the Golden visa on an Indian passport? Does any family member of Himanta Biswa Sarma own properties in Dubai? Does any family member of Himanta Biswa Sarma operate a business in a foreign country? Has Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed his or his family’s wealth and properties abroad in his election affidavit? There will be an investigation, and justice will be served to the guilty.”
