Four accused in the case relating to the death of singer Zubeen Garg moved bail applications before the Kamrup (Metro) District and Sessions Court on Saturday.
The court fixed January 17 as the next date of hearing, when the public prosecutor is expected to file objections to the pleas.
The bail petitions were filed by Garg’s band member Amritprava Mahanta, his cousin Sandipan Garg, a police officer, and the singer’s two personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.
The case is being tried by the sessions court following the submission of a charge sheet by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CID.
Zubeen Garg, a prominent singer-composer and actor, died on September 19 while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he had travelled to attend the Northeast Festival.
According to the charge sheet, the SIT has charged festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma, and band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta with murder.
Garg’s cousin, who was accompanying him at the time, has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The two PSOs have been charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust related to alleged misappropriation of funds or property entrusted to them.
Guwahati Bar Association general secretary Apurba Kumar Sharma said Amritprava Mahanta’s bail plea was moved by her lawyer, while advocates appointed by the District Legal Services Authority filed the pleas on behalf of Garg’s cousin and the two PSOs.
He said government counsel Bhupendra Bhattacharya strongly opposed the bail pleas and would file formal objections.
Sharma said the legal team representing festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta appeared physically before the court but did not move a bail application.
Siddhartha Sharma’s counsel appeared virtually and sought time for hearing on the framing of charges, citing the voluminous nature of the charge sheet.
According to the CID, the charge sheet runs into about 2,500 pages, while documentary evidence submitted to the court, in both material and digital form, exceeds 12,000 pages.
It was not immediately clear whether Shekharjyoti Goswami had engaged a private lawyer or was being represented by a DLSA-appointed advocate.
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Garg’s wife, Garima, who was present during the hearing, urged the government to expedite the appointment of a special public prosecutor.
She said the accused had assembled a strong legal team and stressed the need for experienced senior lawyers who command public confidence to represent the prosecution.
She also called for fast-tracking the trial, noting that the case involves nearly 400 witnesses and could otherwise take years to conclude.
The first hearing after submission of the charge sheet was held on December 16 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, which later committed the case to the sessions court.
Trial proceedings began on December 22.
In all three hearings so far, the accused have appeared virtually, with police citing law and order concerns for not producing them physically in court.
