Guwahati: In a significant development in the high-profile death case of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, North East India Festival (NEIF) organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta on Friday moved a fresh bail application before a special fast-track court in Guwahati.
The court has scheduled the hearing on the plea for April 22.
According to Special Public Prosecutor Ziaur Kamar, the defence had initially requested an earlier date of April 13 for the hearing. However, the court fixed April 22 to take up the matter.
The prosecution is expected to file its formal objection to the bail application ahead of the hearing.
Mahanta, one of the prime accused in the case, had earlier filed a bail plea but subsequently withdrew it.
His latest application comes as the trial continues on a day-to-day basis in the designated fast-track court.
The case pertains to the death of Zubeen Garg, who died on September 19 last year while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore.
The incident occurred just a day before the singer was scheduled to perform at an event organised under the NEIF banner.
Following the incident, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Assam Police’s CID conducted an extensive probe and filed a chargesheet in December.
The charge sheet named seven accused individuals, including Mahanta. Of them, four have been booked on charges of murder, intensifying the gravity of the case.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had termed the case a “plain and simple murder” during a discussion in the state Assembly, underlining the government’s stance on the matter.
Meanwhile, a parallel investigation carried out by the Singapore Police reached a different conclusion, stating that there was no evidence of foul play in Garg’s death.
Despite this, authorities in Assam have maintained that the findings of the foreign probe will not influence the ongoing investigation and trial in the state.
The case continues to draw widespread public and political attention, with the upcoming bail hearing expected to be a crucial stage in the legal proceedings.
(IANS)
