Zubeen Garg Murder Case: Court Accepts Two Pleas, Five Bail Applications to Be Heard on Jan 22

The third hearing in the Zubeen Garg murder case concluded today, with the District and Sessions Judge’s Court in Guwahati accepting two bail applications filed by Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma.

The applications were accepted by the court subject to conditions, and both were approved with the condition that the accused must appear in court in person during the identification process. The court’s decision came during the hearing when the accused were being identified, and the court mandated that they must be physically present during such proceedings.

The court was informed that the applications were submitted through video conference (VC) to participate in the process. During the hearing, the court also acknowledged that the accused had claimed not to have received certain case documents, but the court accepted the applications nonetheless. The government officials have been directed to provide all copies of the documents before January 22.

The hearing also revealed that Shyamkanu and Siddharth had filed two bail applications, which were accepted by the court with the condition that the accused appear physically when identification is conducted. “The applications were accepted subject to conditions,” the court said, adding that “the accused must be physically present during the identification process.”

The court also fixed January 22 for the next hearing, which will involve the hearing of five bail applications. The remaining applications filed by the accused are expected to be heard on January 30.

As per reports, Senior Advocate Ziaul Kamar (public prosecutor) informed the court that the prosecution will object to the bail plea filed by Amritprabha Mahanta, and the matter will be heard on January 22. The court has also scheduled January 30 for hearing the remaining applications filed by the accused.

During the hearing, it was revealed that the Singapore-based Assamese individuals, may be brought under the case under Section 358. The government counsel stated that they may independently bring the expatriate Assamese under the case, and that the government’s legal team can file an application in court to include the person in the investigation.

“The Singapore-based Assamese individuals may be brought under the purview of Section 358,” Kamar said, adding that “the government can independently bring the expatriate Assamese under the case.”

Meanwhile, speaking to media, Garima Saikia Garg, the wife of the victim (Zubeen Garg), has demanded that the Singapore-based Assamese individuals who were with Zubeen at the yacht party be included in the investigation. She stated that the expatriate Assamese must be included in the probe and urged the SIT (Assam CID) to ensure that no one remains outside the investigation. 

“We have repeatedly said that the expatriate Assamese must be brought under investigation,” she said, emphasizing that the negligence of those abroad led to the tragic incident. She added that the same approach that is being applied to the seven accused should also be applied to the expatriate Assamese. “Just as the seven accused are being investigated, the expatriate Assamese should also be brought under investigation,” Garima Saikia Garg said.

Garima also stated that she is fully cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the Singapore police. However, it was noted that the judicial process in Singapore is entirely different from India, and that the investigation there is still in its preliminary stage.

“The legal process in Singapore is completely different from India’s judicial system,” the Garima said, adding that “the Singapore investigation is currently at a very early stage.”

The hearing also revealed that no additional sub-sections have been invoked against the accused yet. 

Garima Saikia Garg reiterated that the accused must be punished with the strictest possible penalty. She demanded that the killer of the innocent be brought to justice and stressed that the guilty should face “harsh punishment” due to the gravity of the crime. She also expressed that Zubeen’s confidence in the justice system has strengthened. “Zubeen’s confidence in justice has increased,” she said, underlining her faith in the legal process.

The newly appointed government legal team was also praised for presenting strong arguments in court. Sources said the newly appointed lawyers put forward a solid case and articulated the prosecution’s stance effectively.

In addition to the ongoing legal proceedings, an application has been submitted to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to bring the Singapore-based Assamese individuals under investigation. This demand has been repeatedly raised by the family, who argue that due to the negligence of the expatriate Assamese, an unwanted tragedy occurred.

“We have repeatedly urged the SIT to bring the expatriate Assamese under investigation because their negligence led to this unfortunate incident,” Garima Saikia Garg said.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 22, where the court will hear arguments on Amritprabha Mahanta’s bail plea along with five other bail applications. The remaining applications filed by the accused are expected to be heard on January 30.

Also Read: Special Public Prosecutor to Appear for First Time in Zubeen Garg Death Case