Zubeen Garg death case: Lawyer moves to challenge bail for 2 accused in Supreme Court

Lawyer Ratul Bora, who had filed the first police complaint following singer Zubeen Garg's death in Singapore, said on Saturday that he will move the Supreme Court, challenging the Gauhati High Court order granting bail to two of the seven accused.

He also questioned the government's role in the legal proceedings, maintaining that the bail was granted due to "loopholes" in the charge sheet filed by the state police.

Garg's band member and singer Amritprava Mahanta and his cousin and suspended Assam Police DSP Sandipon Garg have obtained bail from the high court.

Lawyer questions police charge sheet

Bora, addressing a press conference here, claimed, "Due to loopholes in the police chargesheet, the accused in the case have been obtaining bail one after another. The government's role in the legal proceedings has been unsatisfactory."

The lawyer also said, "I will approach the Supreme Court, challenging the high court order granting bail to two of the accused. I will plead with the apex court to ensure that the other accused do not get bail."

Five other accused remain in jail

Besides Mahanta and Sandipon, NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, band member Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, and personal security officers (PSOs) Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya are in jail as accused in the case.

The two PSOs had been granted bail in a disproportionate assets case in September, but remain in jail in connection with the singer's death case.

Zubeen Garg died in Singapore last year

Garg, a celebrated singer-songwriter, died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea.

He was in the island country to attend the fourth edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).

A special investigation team (SIT) under the Assam Police Criminal Investigation Department probed Garg's death case after more than 60 FIRs were registered across the state.

The SIT filed its charge sheet before a local court here in December, naming the seven accused. Four of them are facing murder charges.

A special fast-track sessions court here has been hearing the case.

Singapore probe found no evidence of foul play

The Singapore Police carried out a separate probe and concluded that there was no evidence of foul play.

A court in Singapore had also said the popular Indian singer-songwriter was severely intoxicated and had drowned off Lazarus Island after declining to wear a life jacket.

The authorities in Assam, however, maintained that the findings of the Singapore Police probe will not impact the case here.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had, in the state assembly, said that Garg's death was a case of "plain and simple murder".