Guwahati: The District and Sessions Judge’s Court of Assam’s Kamrup district is scheduled to hear bail applications on Thursday filed by all five accused in the case related to the death of cultural icon of the state Zubeen Garg, officials said.
According to the prosecution, the five accused, including Shyamkanu Mahanta and Amritprabha Mahanta, have approached the court seeking release on bail, arguing that they have been cooperating with the investigation and that the probe has substantially progressed.
The SIT charge sheet also mentioned the manager of the late singer Siddhartha Sharma, bandmate Shekharjyoti Goswami, as a murder accused in the death probe of Zubeen Garg, while the singer’s cousin and suspended Assam Police officer Sandipan Garg was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The hearing assumes significance as it comes after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its charge sheet in the case. The SIT, constituted by the Assam Police to probe the high-profile case, in its charge sheet named five persons, detailing their alleged roles in the sequence of events that led to Zubeen’s death.
Investigators have stated that the charge sheet includes witness statements, forensic findings, electronic records and international correspondence, forming the basis of the prosecution’s case. The accused, however, have denied the allegations and claimed innocence.
The bail petition by the accused came after Singapore Police told a court that they ruled out any foul play in Zubeen Garg’s death, and they argued that the singer died due to drowning.
Notably, Singapore Police recently told the court that Garg was severely intoxicated on board a yacht shortly before the incident in which he drowned.
According to witness testimonies, Garg had been drinking liquor while being present on the yacht, with one witness saying that he consumed several cups of alcohol, including gin and Whisky, and also took sips of Guinness Stout.
The investigating officer told the court that Garg had initially gone for a swim, returned to the yacht and was heard saying he was tired, before entering the water again a few minutes later. The inquiry also examined Garg’s medical history.
The court was told that he had a known history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last reported epileptic episode occurring in 2024. Forensic analysis detected medication for both conditions in his blood. However, investigators said it could not be conclusively determined whether Garg had taken his epilepsy medication on the day of the incident, as eyewitness accounts on this aspect were inconclusive.
A forensic pathologist testified that there were no physical indicators, such as a bitten tongue, that could establish whether Garg had suffered an epileptic seizure prior to entering the water. The captain of the yacht, named Crazy Monkey, also gave evidence before the court.
He said that Garg had to be physically supported by two friends while boarding the vessel, as he was unable to walk properly. The captain added that some passengers had begun drinking even before boarding and that he conducted two safety briefings during the voyage.
In his testimony, the captain said that when he saw Garg entering the water for the second time without wearing a life jacket, he warned one of the singer’s friends that Garg appeared intoxicated and should not enter the water without safety gear.
The captain also added that he jumped into the water and swam towards Garg after noticing him floating face-down. Police told the court that witness statements indicated Garg had entered the water voluntarily and showed no signs of suicidal intent.
(IANS)
