Zubeen Garg death case: Amritprabha Mahanta released from Haflong sub-jail after bail

Singer Amritprabha Mahanta, one of the seven accused in the death case of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, was released from Haflong sub-jail on Tuesday, October 13, four days after the Gauhati High Court granted her bail.

Justice Pranjal Das granted bail to Mahanta on Friday, October 9, against a bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount, Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar told reporters.

The High Court had heard Mahanta’s bail petition over several days, with arguments concluding on Wednesday. The court reserved its order before pronouncing the decision on Friday.

According to Kamar, the prosecution presented its arguments over four to five days during the hearings.
Mahanta was lodged at Haflong sub-jail along with Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, another accused in the case and a former bandmate of Garg. The other accused are lodged at Tamulpur jail.

Mahanta’s release marks the first reported instance of an accused securing bail in the main case concerning Garg’s death. Earlier, two of the singer’s personal security officers had obtained bail in a separate case related to financial transactions, which is distinct from the main death case.

Zubeen Garg, 52, died on September 19, 2025, while swimming in the sea off Singapore, where he had travelled to attend the North East India Festival. His death triggered widespread protests across Assam, with people demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Assam government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. Several people who accompanied Garg during his Singapore visit were arrested as part of the investigation.
Those arrested included festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, and band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta.

The SIT subsequently filed a chargesheet against the accused, charging Amritprabha Mahanta, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddhartha Sharma and Shekhar Jyoti Goswami with murder.

Garg’s cousin, Sandipan Garg, was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, while his personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, were charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

The case centres on the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death during his Singapore visit and the roles allegedly played by those who accompanied him.

Mahanta’s bail does not amount to an acquittal. The allegations against all the accused remain subject to judicial proceedings, and their guilt is yet to be established by a court.
The legal proceedings in the main death case continue, with the other accused facing charges in connection with the singer’s death.