Guwahati: The District and Sessions Court on Friday rejected the bail applications of three accused—Amritprabha Mahanta, Paresh Baishya and Nandeswar Bora—in the mysterious death case of popular singer Zubeen Garg.
The court denied bail to Amritprabha Mahanta after accepting the prosecution’s argument that she was involved in a criminal conspiracy behind the singer’s death. Bail pleas of Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, who were bodyguards of the deceased singer, were also rejected. The court observed that both had seriously breached the trust reposed in them by Zubeen Garg.
It may be noted that after a hearing held on January 22, the court had reserved its order on the bail applications, which was pronounced today.
Reacting to the court’s decision, government-appointed advocate Ziaur Kamar said the prosecution team had worked hard to ensure justice for Zubeen Garg. He also stated that the police had cooperated fully in the judicial process. He added that Amritprabha Mahanta’s bail was rejected due to her involvement in the conspiracy, while Nandeswar Bora attempted to misappropriate the singer’s money and failed to disclose possession of the funds, leading to rejection of bail.
The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for February 13.
Meanwhile, another accused in the case, Siddharth Sharma, has filed three fresh petitions seeking details of the case records and the investigation conducted by Singapore Police. Advocate Kamar clarified that investigations in Singapore and Assam are completely different, stating that while Singapore followed coroner laws, Assam police are conducting a full-fledged criminal investigation. He added that the accused may obtain certified copies of documents through legal procedures if required.
A separate hearing related to Siddharth Sharma’s properties—Mahabir Aqua and Orchid View—will be held on February 16.
During hearing, Zubeen Garg’s wife Garima Saikia Garg was present in court. She expressed deep regret over the singer’s trusting nature, stating that Zubeen considered everyone as his own family, which turned out to be a grave mistake. She said the accused had betrayed that trust and asserted that the question of bail should not arise.
Earlier, on January 22, accused Shyamkanu Mahanta and Sandipan Garg had withdrawn their bail applications. The bail pleas of Amritprabha Mahanta, Paresh Baishya and Nandeswar Bora were reserved and later rejected by the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court.
The Assam government had constituted a five-member special public prosecutors’ team led by senior advocate Ziaur Kamar to oppose the bail pleas. Although the trial is underway in a Guwahati court, Zubeen Garg’s family has also written to the President of India seeking speedy justice in the case.
