Guwahati: The bail plea hearing of Shyamkanu Mahanta, one of the accused in the murder case related to popular singer Zubeen Garg, was held on Friday before the bench of Justice Mitali Thakuria at the Gauhati High Court.
After the hearing, the High Court fixed May 22 as the next date for further hearing of the bail application. The court also allowed the petitioner’s side to submit an additional affidavit and fresh documents by May 18.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, public prosecutor Jiaur Kamar said the counsel for the accused appeared virtually from Kolkata and sought permission to file additional documents and information through an affidavit. The court accepted the request and granted time till May 18 for submission.
Earlier, the first hearing of the bail application was scheduled on May 13 before the bench of Justice Parthiv Jyoti Saikia. However, the judge recused himself from hearing the matter due to personal reasons, following which the case was transferred to another bench.
During Friday’s hearing, Advocate General Devajit Saikia represented the state government. The prosecution requested the court to postpone the bail hearing until after May 26, stating that the Special Fast Track Court is scheduled to deliver its order on framing of charges in the case on that day.
The state argued that if the accused is discharged from the case, the bail plea would automatically become irrelevant. However, the High Court rejected the request and decided to continue the hearing on May 22 itself, observing that seeking bail is a constitutional right of the accused.
Earlier, the Special Fast Track Court had rejected Shyamkanu Mahanta’s bail plea, observing that there was a possibility of the accused absconding if released on bail at this stage. Challenging that order, Mahanta later approached the Gauhati High Court seeking relief.
The case continues to attract widespread public attention and remains one of the most discussed criminal cases in Assam.
