Supreme Court to deliver verdict on Shyamkanu Mahanta’s bail plea in Zubeen Garg death case

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on October 5, on the bail plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta, one of the accused in the case concerning the death of music icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore last year.

A bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan had concluded the hearing on Mahanta’s bail plea and fixed October 5 for pronouncement of the order. The matter had earlier remained pending as the court considered submissions from both sides and sought an update on the progress of the trial in Assam.

Mahanta is currently lodged in Baksa jail along with five other accused in the case. He was arrested in October 2025 following Garg’s death in Singapore in September 2025.

During the earlier proceedings, the Assam government informed the Supreme Court about the progress of the trial and said the examination of witnesses was underway. The state told the court that statements of 94 of the 394 witnesses had been recorded as of August 14.

The Assam government also informed the court that several key witnesses based in Singapore were yet to be examined and that their statements were expected to be recorded shortly.

The Supreme Court had directed the state to ensure that the trial proceeds without unnecessary delay. The progress of the trial was also taken into consideration while hearing Mahanta’s plea for bail.

Mahanta, who was associated with the organisation of the North East India Festival in Singapore, is among the accused in the case relating to Garg’s death. A fast-track court in Assam has framed murder charges against four accused, including Mahanta.

The singer died in Singapore in September 2025, with the circumstances surrounding his death subsequently becoming the subject of a criminal investigation in Assam.