The Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant bail to Shyamkanu Mahanta, one of the accused in the case concerning the death of renowned Assamese singer and musician Zubeen Garg. The court has kept the bail matter pending and scheduled the next hearing for October 5.
A bench comprising Justices B. V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan considered Mahanta’s plea filed under SLP (Crl.) No. 11523/2026. During the proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyers presented their arguments before the bench, following which the Assam government outlined the current status of the trial.
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According to the state, proceedings in the case are already underway. Of the 394 witnesses listed in the case, statements from 94 had been recorded by August 14. The petitioner’s counsel pointed out that some significant witnesses based in Singapore are still to appear before the trial court.
The Assam government informed the Supreme Court that the statements of these witnesses are likely to be recorded over the next two to three weeks. The state further submitted that these individuals had previously given statements to the investigating officer during the investigation.
Taking note of the pace of the proceedings, the Supreme Court orally urged the Assam government to make every possible effort to accelerate the trial.
The bench, however, did not issue a final ruling on Mahanta’s request for bail during Monday’s hearing. Instead, the matter has been adjourned and will come up again on October 5.
Mahanta, who was associated with organising the North East India Festival in Singapore, was arrested in October 2025. He is one of seven accused named in the case. An Assam fast-track court has framed murder charges against four accused, including Mahanta. All the accused have denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
