Zubeen Garg’s family urges Assam Governor to expedite trial, challenge bail orders

Family members of late singer Zubeen Garg have urged Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya to ensure effective prosecution in the singer’s death case, oppose bail pleas of the accused and expedite the trial.

Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, and sister, Palme Borthakur, met the governor at Lok Bhavan on October 28 and submitted a memorandum seeking his intervention as the case progresses through the judicial system.

The family expressed concern over the Gauhati High Court granting bail to two accused, saying the development had caused “considerable anguish and apprehension”. While acknowledging the independence of the judiciary, they urged the state government to challenge bail orders before a higher forum wherever sufficient legal grounds exist.

“The Government of Assam has stated its intention to challenge the recent bail orders before the Supreme Court. We earnestly expect that this decision will be translated into prompt and effective legal action,” the memorandum stated.

The family, accompanied by prominent personalities from the Assamese film industry, said that although the state government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the investigating agency had filed its charge sheet, the case had reached a critical stage requiring sustained legal efforts and timely action.

They also called for a unified prosecution coordination mechanism under the Assam Advocate General to monitor proceedings before the designated fast-track court, the Gauhati High Court and the Supreme Court. The proposed mechanism, they said, should ensure timely filing of appeals and better coordination between investigators and prosecutors.

The memorandum stressed the need for the effective presentation of documentary, forensic and digital evidence, protection of witnesses and safeguards against interference with evidence. The family urged the government to provide all necessary support to secure a fair and expeditious trial.

Particular concern was raised over the bail applications of North East India Festival chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, both of whom face serious allegations in the case. The family urged the government to take every legally permissible step to oppose their pleas and challenge bail orders already granted without unnecessary delay.

Mahanta, Sharma, band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta, Garg’s cousin and suspended Assam Police Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandipon Garg, and personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya were arrested in connection with the singer’s death.

The memorandum also called for a thorough investigation into reports of alleged financial irregularities and suspected criminal activities involving some of the accused. These included the reported recovery of official seals and stamps belonging to government departments, multiple PAN cards, and allegations of misappropriation of Garg’s earnings and diversion of funds.

“Justice for Zubeen should transcend political differences and remain a shared commitment to truth, fairness and the rule of law,” the memorandum said.

The family clarified that its appeal was not directed against any individual or institution and was not intended to interfere with the judiciary’s independent functioning. It also urged supporters to pursue the demand for justice peacefully and with dignity, without taking any action that could undermine the judicial process.

Mahanta faces charges under eight sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while Sharma faces seven. Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta face six charges each, Bora and Baishya face two each, and Sandipan Garg faces one charge.

The accused have been booked under various provisions relating to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence. Sandipon Garg and Amritprava Mahanta have already secured bail and were released from jail earlier this month.

Garg died on September 19, 2025, while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he had travelled to attend the fourth edition of the North East India Festival.

The Assam Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) formed an SIT to investigate the death after more than 60 FIRs were lodged across the state.

The Singapore Police Force, which conducted a separate investigation, concluded that there was no evidence of foul play. Singapore’s Coroner’s Court also ruled out foul play, finding that Garg was severely intoxicated and had drowned off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket.

Authorities in Assam, however, have maintained that the findings of the Singapore investigation would not affect the proceedings in the state.