Guwahati: One of the accused in the widely discussed case related to the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg, Shyamkanu Mahanta, faced a setback in the Gauhati High Court after the bench recused itself from hearing his bail plea.
The bail application, registered as Bail Application No. 3853/2026, was listed before the bench of Justice Parthiv Jyoti Saikia on wednesday. However, soon after the matter was called, the court expressed its unwillingness to hear the case and recused itself from the proceedings. As a result, the hearing could not take place on Tuesday and the matter will now be referred to another appropriate bench.
Speaking to the media, public prosecutor Ziaur Kamar said that the matter was listed before Justice Parthiv Jyoti Saikia, but the judge declined to hear the case, a process legally referred to as “recusal.” He added that no hearing took place and the registry of the High Court would decide which bench would hear the matter next.
Earlier, on April 30, a special Fast Track Court had rejected the bail plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta, observing that there was a possibility of the accused absconding if granted bail at this stage. Since then, Mahanta has remained in judicial custody.
Following the development in court, Garima Saikia Garg shared an emotional reaction on social media, expressing gratitude towards the High Court and Justice Parthiv Jyoti Saikia. She stated that she hoped truth and justice would ultimately prevail.
The case, which initially surfaced as a suspicious death, later turned into a murder investigation. The matter gained further attention after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly referred to the incident as a “murder case.”
The Assam CID has already completed its investigation and filed a chargesheet before the court. A total of seven accused have been named in the chargesheet, including Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddhartha Sharma, Shekharjyoti Goswami, Amrit Prabha Mahanta, Sandeepan Garg, Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, all of whom are currently in jail.
The next course of action by the High Court in this high-profile case is now being closely watched across the state.
