The special fast-track court hearing the bail application of Shyamkanu Mahanta, a key accused in the Zubeen Garg death case, on Thursday reserved its order till April 30 after concluding arguments from both sides.
The hearing, which began on Wednesday, resumed on Thursday morning and continued through the day, with Mahanta’s counsel countering the prosecution’s submissions. After the proceedings, Justice Sharmila Bhuyan reserved the verdict, stating that the order would be delivered on April 30.
Mahanta, organiser of the North East India Festival, had moved the bail plea on April 10. During the hearing, his counsel argued that he had been in custody for over seven months, was cooperating with the investigation, and did not pose a flight risk, thereby seeking relief.
The court also heard a separate petition filed by Mahanta seeking the return of his seized documents and personal belongings.
Opposing the bail plea, Special Public Prosecutor Ziaur Kamar pointed to alleged inconsistencies in Mahanta’s statements, particularly concerning the supply of alcohol to the late singer. The prosecution argued that while the accused claimed to have cautioned against providing alcohol, evidence suggested he had requested an Assamese resident in Singapore to procure a bottle for Garg.
Also read: Zubeen Garg death case: Two probes, two differing views
Another accused in the case, Siddhartha Sharma, the singer’s manager, filed a revised bail application after earlier discrepancies were noted. His bail hearing has been scheduled for Friday.
Meanwhile, proceedings related to framing of charges against all accused will continue on a day-to-day basis before the special fast-track court. The Gauhati High Court had earlier set up the dedicated court on March 16, with administrative support from the state government.
A five-member special prosecution team is handling the case. The investigation relates to the death of the 52-year-old singer on September 19 last year in Singapore, where he had travelled to attend the North East India Festival.
Following the incident, the Assam government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the CID, which later filed a chargesheet naming seven accused currently in judicial custody.
The accused face various charges, including murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of funds. The case continues to draw widespread public attention in Assam, with legal proceedings now advancing in a fast-track court setup.
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