The Gauhati High Court is set to hear the bail application of Shyamkannu Mahanta on Friday in connection with Assamese singer Zubin Garg’s death case.Reports from IANS say that this will be the second hearing of Mahanta’s bail application before the bench headed by Justice Mitali Thakoria.
This matter remains one of the most closely followed legal cases in Assam.During the previous hearing on May 15, the court ordered the interested parties to submit additional testimony before May 18. Reports indicate that the court is now expected to examine new applications and supporting documents before deciding on the bail application. Maanta remained in judicial custody for several months after he was included among the defendants in the investigation linked to the singer’s death.
The investigation continues to attract attention
The case relates to the death of Zubin Garg, who died on September 19 last year during a swimming accident near Lazarus Island in Singapore.The singer reportedly traveled there ahead of a show linked to an event organized under the NEIF banner. Following the incident, the Assam Police CID formed a special investigation team to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter. The investigation later led to an indictment in December.
The charge sheet reportedly named seven individuals as accused, including Shyamkannu Mahanta.
Among them, four individuals were detained on murder charges, which greatly increased the seriousness of the investigation and attracted widespread public debate.
Assam government’s strong position
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke about the matter during a discussion in the state assembly. While addressing the case, the Prime Minister described it as a “simple and clear murder”.
His statements added more political interest to the investigation and strengthened the state government’s position on the issue.
The investigation in Singapore reached a different conclusion
Meanwhile, a separate investigation by Singapore Police reportedly came to a different conclusion regarding the singer’s death. According to reports, Singaporean authorities stated that there was no evidence to suggest foul play in the accident. Despite the different 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 continued to maintain that the investigation in Assam was being conducted independently based on evidence collected by the Special Investigation Team.
