The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Assam Government on the bail plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta, an accused in the case linked to the death of Assam music icon Zubeen Garg. Mahanta, organiser of the North East India Festival in Singapore, approached the apex court after the Gauhati High Court rejected his bail plea.
The Supreme Court issued notice to the Government of Assam regarding the bail application filed by Shyamkanu Mahanta. He is the event manager and chief organiser of the North East India Festival in Singapore and is also one of the accused in the case connected to the death of Assam’s music icon Zubeen Garg.
A Bench led by Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi instructed the State government to submit its response within three weeks.
The case has been scheduled for further hearing at the end of July.
Mahanta moved to the apex court after the Gauhati High Court, on May 29, rejected his bail petition.
The Supreme Court’s notice represents the next step in the legal process, and the court is expected to consider the arguments presented by both sides during the forthcoming hearing.
The case is linked to the death of singer Zubeen Garg, who drowned under alleged unexplained circumstances while swimming in Singaporean waters.
After the incident, several first information reports (FIRs) were filed, accusing Mahanta and others of offences such as criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Zubeen Garg tragically passed away on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he was attending the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).
ALSO READ: Zubeen Garg Death Case: Court Sends 5 Accused to Jail For 14 Days
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) from the state police’s CID investigated the case and submitted a charge sheet in December, which included murder charges against some of the defendants.
In addition to NEIF chief organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta and Sharma, other accused in the case include Garg’s band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, his cousin and now-suspended Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, and his personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Zubeen Garg