The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up the bail plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta, one of the accused in the case concerning the death of singer Zubeen Garg, on October 5, after earlier directing that the trial in Assam proceed diligently and without unnecessary delay.
A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan had heard arguments on Mahanta’s plea and deferred further consideration to October 5. The court had also sought details on the progress of the trial in Assam while considering the bail application.
Mahanta, who was associated with the organisation of the North East India Festival in Singapore, has been in custody since his arrest in October 2025 following Garg’s death in Singapore in September that year. He is lodged in Baksa jail along with five other accused.
The Assam government told the Supreme Court during the earlier proceedings that the trial was progressing and that witnesses were being examined. Of the 394 witnesses listed in the case, statements of 94 had been recorded as of August 14, according to the state.
Several important witnesses based in Singapore were yet to appear before the trial court, with their statements expected to be recorded subsequently. The Supreme Court directed the Assam authorities to ensure that the proceedings were not unnecessarily delayed.
The case relates to Garg’s death in Singapore in September 2025, the circumstances of which later became the subject of a criminal investigation in Assam. A fast-track court in the state has framed murder charges against four accused, including Mahanta.
The Gauhati High Court had earlier rejected Mahanta’s bail application, holding that the material collected during the investigation prima facie indicated his alleged involvement and that the circumstances did not warrant his release at that stage.
