Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government will hold discussions with the family of late singer Zubeen Garg on setting up a fast-track court to ensure a speedy trial in connection with his death. Speaking on the sidelines of a programme in Mariani in Jorhat district, Sarma said the accused in the case have remained in judicial custody for the past five months and have not been granted bail so far.
He noted that the current judge had rejected bail applications of all seven accused.
“The process may be slow, but the accused are still in jail. They have not been able to come out on bail,” Sarma said, adding that a decision on establishing a fast-track court would be taken only after consulting Garg’s family. However, he cautioned that if a fast-track court is formed and the accused later receives bail, the government should not be blamed for it.
Responding to opposition’s allegations that the accused might be released after the Assembly elections, Sarma said such claims were politically motivated.
“They are seeing it from a political angle, but Zubeen was above politics,” he said.
Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, and his sister Palme Borthakur have expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress of the case at the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court. They urged the government to establish a fast-track court for day-to-day hearings.
“I do not know why the court is entertaining the accused’s petitions. They are delaying the process. We have been requesting a fast-track court, but it has not been set up yet,” Garima said.
Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar also supported the demand, stating that repeated petitions by the accused have slowed proceedings. He said the regular trial cannot begin until all pending petitions are resolved. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 2.
Among the seven accused arrested, three — Garg’s band member Amritprava Mahanta and his two Personal Security Officers, Paresh Baishya and Nandeswar Bora — had earlier applied for bail, which was rejected on January 30.
According to the chargesheet filed by the Special Investigating Team (SIT), several individuals, including festival director Shyamkanu Mahanta, secretary Sidhartha Sharma, and band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta, have been charged with murder.
Garg’s cousin and suspended Assam Police officer Sandipan Garg have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. His two PSOs face charges of criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust involving misappropriation of funds.
The SIT submitted the chargesheet on December 12, and the first hearing was held on December 16.
Zubeen Garg had travelled to Singapore to attend the North East India Festival when he died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea on September 19. The case has since drawn significant public attention, with the singer’s family and prosecutors pushing for faster proceedings to ensure justice.
Follow us
