Zubeen Garg Death Case: Amritprabha Mahanta Appears Before Fast-Track Court After Bail

Singer Amritprabha Mahanta, an accused in the death case of Assam’s celebrated musician Zubeen Garg, appeared before a fast-track court on Wednesday, a day after her release from Haflong sub-jail following the Gauhati High Court’s grant of bail.

Mahanta had been directed to appear before the court after her release on Tuesday. Her appearance comes as legal proceedings continue in the high-profile case, which has drawn widespread public attention and calls for justice across Assam.

The Gauhati High Court granted Mahanta bail on October 9. Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar told reporters that Justice Pranjal Das had granted bail against a bond of Rs 50,000, along with two sureties of the same amount. The court had heard arguments on her bail petition over several days before reserving its order.

Mahanta is the first accused in the main case relating to Garg’s death to secure bail. She had been lodged at Haflong sub-jail alongside another accused, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, a former bandmate of the singer.

Garg died on September 19, 2025, while swimming in the sea off Singapore’s Lazarus Island. He was in Singapore to attend the North East India Festival and had been scheduled to perform at the event.

His death triggered widespread grief in Assam and demands for a comprehensive investigation. Singapore’s State Coroner ruled on March 25 that Garg had died due to accidental drowning, finding no evidence of foul play or that he had been forced into the water.

Following public demands and the registration of more than 60 FIRs across Assam, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Criminal Investigation Department of Assam Police to investigate the case.

The SIT subsequently visited Singapore, examined witnesses and filed a charge sheet before a Guwahati court in December 2025. The charge sheet named seven accused and alleged that four of them were responsible for murder. These allegations form part of the prosecution’s case and remain subject to judicial determination.

The accused named in the charge sheet are festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, former bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, singer Amritprabha Mahanta, Assam Police officer and Garg’s cousin Sandipan Garg, and personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.

The SIT charged Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta with murder. Sandipan Garg was charged with culpable homicide, while Bora and Baishya faced other charges linked to alleged negligence and their duties as security personnel.

A special fast-track court framed charges against all seven accused in May 2026. All of them pleaded not guilty.

The case continues to attract close scrutiny across Assam, with Garg’s fans and the wider public following developments in the pursuit of accountability over the singer’s death.