The Gauhati High Court is scheduled to hear the bail plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta on Friday in connection with the death case involving Assamese singer Zubeen Garg.Reports from IANS says that this will be the second hearing of Mahanta’s bail application before the bench headed by Justice Mitali Thakuria. The matter continues to remain one of the most closely followed legal cases in Assam.During the previous hearing held on May 15, the court had directed the concerned parties to submit an additional affidavit before May 18. Reports suggest that the court is now expected to examine the new submissions and supporting documents before deciding on the bail petition. Mahanta has remained in judicial custody for several months after being named among the accused in the investigation linked to the singer’s death.
Investigation continues to draw attention
The case relates to the death of Zubeen Garg, who died on September 19 last year during a swimming incident near Lazarus Island in Singapore.The singer had reportedly travelled there ahead of a performance connected to an event organised under the NEIF banner. Following the incident, the Assam Police CID constituted a Special Investigation Team to conduct a detailed probe into the matter. The investigation later resulted in a chargesheet being filed in December. The chargesheet reportedly named seven accused individuals, including Shyamkanu Mahanta. Among them, four individuals were booked under murder charges, which significantly increased the seriousness of the investigation and attracted widespread public discussion.
Assam Government’s strong stand
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had spoken about the matter during a discussion in the state Assembly. While addressing the case, the Chief Minister described it as a “plain and simple murder.” His statements added further political attention to the investigation and reinforced the state government’s position regarding the matter.
Singapore probe reached different conclusion
At the same time, a separate investigation conducted by Singapore Police reportedly arrived at a different conclusion regarding the singer’s death. According to reports, Singapore authorities stated that there was no evidence suggesting foul play in the incident. Despite the differing findings, authorities in Assam have maintained that the conclusions reached during the foreign investigation will not affect the ongoing legal process or the investigation currently underway in the state.Officials have continued to stress that the Assam investigation is proceeding independently based on the evidence collected by the Special Investigation Team.
