Four accused move bail pleas in Zubeen Garg death case; next hearing on January 17

Four accused in the death case of noted singer-composer-actor Zubeen Garg filed bail petitions before the Kamrup (Metro) District and Sessions Court on January 3. The court fixed January 17 as the next date of hearing, when objections to the bail pleas will be filed by the public prosecutor.
The bail applications were moved by Garg’s band member Amritprava Mahanta, his cousin Sandipan Garg, a police officer, and his two personal security officers (PSOs) Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.
Zubeen Garg had died on September 19 while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he had travelled to attend the Northeast Festival. The case is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CID.
The SIT has filed a chargesheet accusing festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma, and band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta of murder, while Garg’s cousin, who was accompanying him, has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The two PSOs have been charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust by misappropriation of funds or property entrusted to them.
Guwahati Bar Association general secretary Apurba Kumar Sharma said Mahanta’s lawyer moved her bail petition, while lawyers appointed by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) filed bail pleas on behalf of Garg’s cousin and the two PSOs.
“The government lawyer Bhupendra Bhattacharya strongly opposed the bail pleas and said he would file objections,” Sharma said.
He added that the festival organiser’s team of lawyers from Kolkata appeared physically before the court but did not submit any bail application. Meanwhile, Siddhartha Sharma’s advocate appeared virtually and sought time for hearing on the framing of charges, citing the voluminous nature of the chargesheet.
According to the CID, the chargesheet runs into 2,500 pages, while documentary evidence submitted to the court, both material and digital, exceeds 12,000 pages. It was not immediately known whether Shekharjyoti Goswami had engaged a private lawyer or was being represented by a DLSA-appointed advocate.
Zubeen Garg’s wife Garima Garg, who was present during the hearing, urged the government to expedite the appointment of a special public prosecutor.
“The accused have built a strong legal team. We also need a strong prosecution team. The Chief Minister has assured that a special prosecution team will be formed, and I request that this be done at the earliest,” she said.
Garima also called for fast-tracking the trial, noting that the case involves nearly 400 witnesses. “If the hearings proceed routinely, it could take decades. We have faith in the legal system and will fight for justice for Zubeen within its framework,” she added.
The first hearing after the SIT submitted the chargesheet was held on December 16 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) court, which later committed the case to the sessions court. The trial formally commenced on December 22.
In all three hearings so far, the accused have appeared virtually, with police citing law and order concerns if they were produced physically in court.