Guwahati: The Assam Criminal Investigation Department intends to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the Gauhati High Court ruling that granted bail to two individuals among the seven accused in the death investigation of singer Zubeen Garg.
Special Director General of Police for the CID, Munna Prasad Gupta, announced during a press conference that legal counsel reviewed the high court orders regarding case number 18/25 and determined that a Supreme Court challenge is warranted. Gupta noted that the filing will occur as soon as the apex court reopens following the conclusion of the current holidays.
The high court granted separate bail orders to the singer's band member, Amritprava Mahanta, and his cousin, suspended Assam Police Deputy Superintendent Sandipon Garg. Mahanta secured release from judicial custody after receiving bail earlier in the month, while Sandipon Garg awaited the completion of his bail formalities.
During the briefing, Gupta stated that the fast-track court overseeing the proceedings has already questioned 134 witnesses, emphasizing that the trial is advancing smoothly and that no witnesses have turned hostile. Additionally, the lawyer who filed the initial police complaint following the singer's death indicated plans to independently contest the high court's bail decisions before the Supreme Court.
Celebrated singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg passed away under unexplained circumstances while swimming in Singapore waters on September 19 of the previous year, during a visit for the North East India Festival. Following numerous police complaints across Assam, a special investigation team formed by the state CID probed the incident and filed a charge sheet against seven individuals in a Guwahati local court, with four facing murder charges.
While Singapore authorities and local police investigations concluded there was no evidence of foul play and attributed the death to severe intoxication and accidental drowning off Lazarus Island, Assam officials maintained that the foreign findings would not impact the local judicial process. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma previously characterized the incident to the state assembly as a case of murder. The CID will now proceed with its Supreme Court challenge against the released defendants while the fast-track trial against the remaining accused continues.