Court Rejects Bail Plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta In Zubeen Garg Death Case

The Gauhati High Court has rejected the bail plea of festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, one of the prime accused in the Zubeen Garg death case, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the incident that has triggered widespread public and legal scrutiny in Assam.

The decision comes after a lower court had earlier also dismissed Mahanta’s bail application. During the hearing, the High Court reportedly took into account the seriousness of the allegations as well as the stage of the investigation, observing that releasing the accused at this point could potentially interfere with the probe and its integrity.

Legal observers noted that the court’s refusal to grant bail suggests the investigation is still at a sensitive stage. They indicated that judicial authorities often exercise caution in such situations to ensure that evidence is not influenced or tampered with while the probe remains ongoing.

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The case relates to the death of singer Zubeen Garg, who died on September 19 last year while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore. His death occurred a day before he was scheduled to perform at an event organised under the NEIF banner, leading to intense public reactions and demands for a detailed investigation.

Following the incident, the Assam Police Criminal Investigation Department constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which conducted an extensive probe and filed a charge sheet in December 2025 naming seven accused individuals. Among them, four have been booked on murder charges, escalating the seriousness of the case and drawing further public attention.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier described the incident as a “plain and simple murder” during a state assembly discussion. However, a parallel investigation by Singapore authorities reportedly found no evidence of foul play, creating a divergence in conclusions between the two probes. Despite this, officials in Assam have maintained that the foreign findings will not impact the ongoing legal proceedings in India.

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