The Gauhati High Court is set to review Shyamkanu Mahanta’s bail plea on Friday regarding the death of Assamese music legend Zubeen Garg. This marks the second hearing on Mahanta’s bail request before Justice Mitali Thakuria’s bench. At the previous hearing on May 15, the court instructed the involved parties to submit an additional affidavit by May 18.
Mahanta, recognized as the organizer of a prominent Northeast festival, has been in custody for several months as a suspect in the investigation related to Zubeen Garg’s demise. Legal sources anticipate that the court will scrutinize the supplementary documents and arguments presented during Friday’s session before ruling on the bail application.
The case revolves around Zubeen Garg’s passing on September 19 last year while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore. The incident occurred a day before the singer was supposed to perform at an event organized under the NEIF banner. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by Assam Police’s CID conducted an extensive inquiry post the incident and filed a chargesheet in December.
Four out of the seven accused individuals named in the chargesheet, including Mahanta, face murder accusations, heightening the severity of the case. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma previously labeled the case as a “plain and simple murder” during a state Assembly discussion, emphasizing the government’s position. Meanwhile, a separate investigation by the Singapore Police concluded that there was no indication of foul play in Garg’s demise.
Despite this, authorities in Assam have affirmed that the foreign probe’s outcomes will not impact the ongoing state investigation and trial. The case has garnered significant public and political interest, with the upcoming bail hearing anticipated to be a pivotal phase in the legal process.
