Supreme Court rejects Shyamkanu Mahanta’s bail plea in Zubeen Garg death case

The Supreme Court on Monday, August 17, rejected the bail plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta, one of the key accused in the case related to the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore last year. The matter will next be heard on October 5.

A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan heard Mahanta’s plea in SLP (Crl.) No. 11523/2026.

During the hearing, the Assam government informed the court about the progress of the trial, stating that proceedings had already commenced. Of the 394 witnesses listed in the case, statements of 94 had been recorded as of August 14, the state told the court.

Counsel appearing for Mahanta submitted that several important witnesses based in Singapore were yet to be examined. The Assam government responded that the statements of these witnesses were expected to be recorded within the next two to three weeks.

The state further informed the court that the Singapore-based witnesses had already given their statements to the investigating officer during the investigation.

The Supreme Court orally advised the Assam government to expedite the trial process as far as possible. However, it did not pass a final order on Mahanta’s bail plea on Monday. The matter has been kept pending and will be heard next on October 5.

Mahanta, who organised the North East India Festival in Singapore, was arrested in October 2025 and is among seven accused in the case. A fast-track court in Assam has framed murder charges against four accused, including Mahanta. All the accused have pleaded not guilty.