Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Friday granted bail to Amrit Prabha Mahanta, an accused individual in the high-profile death case of singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg, according to Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar.

Justice Pranjal Das approved the bail plea on a bond of Rs 50,000 along with two sureties of the same amount, Kamar informed reporters following the decision. The ruling followed an extensive hearing in which the prosecution presented its arguments across four to five days.

Kamar noted that the specific reasoning behind the court's decision was not immediately available because only the operative part of the order had been read. He explained that Mahanta will remain in custody until the formal bail order is submitted to the trial court and all necessary legal procedures are finalized.

While acknowledging that the prosecution cannot directly challenge the order, Kamar stated that he would brief the state government and await further instructions. Zubeen Garg passed away under mysterious circumstances on September 19 of the previous year while swimming in the sea during a visit to Singapore for the fourth edition of the North East India Festival.

Several other individuals remain jailed in connection with the ongoing probe, including North East India Festival chief organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta, manager Siddharth Sharma, band member Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, the singer's cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, and personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya. Although the two PSOs secured bail in a separate disproportionate assets case in September, they continue to be held regarding the artiste's death.

The investigation in Assam was launched by a Special Investigation Team under the Criminal Investigation Department following the filing of more than 60 First Information Reports across the state. Meanwhile, a separate inquiry by the Singapore Police Force and a subsequent ruling by a Singapore Coroner's Court concluded there was no evidence of foul play, indicating that the prominent singer-songwriter was severely intoxicated and drowned off Lazarus Island after refusing a life jacket. Assam authorities have maintained that the Singapore findings will not impact the local legal proceedings.