Seven accused in Zubeen Garg death case produced virtually in court

Guwahati, Dec 16 All seven accused in the high-profile murder case of popular Assamese icon Zubeen Garg were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Kamrup Metropolitan, through video conferencing on Tuesday, marking another key step in the legal proceedings following the filing of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) chargesheet.

During the hearing, copies of the voluminous charge sheet were formally furnished to all the accused, who are currently lodged in judicial custody.

The court has fixed December 22 as the next date of hearing, when the CJM is likely to commit the case to the sessions court.

Once transferred, the trial in the sensational case is expected to formally begin.

Earlier, the court had allowed virtual production of the accused after accepting the Assam Government’s submission, citing security and logistical considerations.

Acting on this, the CJM had directed that all seven accused be produced before the court through video conferencing, a move aimed at ensuring smooth conduct of proceedings without compromising safety.

On Tuesday, the accused were represented by advocate Dhrubajyoti Das, who was appointed by the District Legal Services Authority to provide legal assistance during the hearing.

The developments come in the backdrop of the SIT recently submitting a comprehensive chargesheet running into over 3,500 pages in connection with the murder of Zubeen Garg, a case that has evoked widespread public interest and emotional responses across Assam.

The SIT, constituted to probe the mysterious circumstances surrounding the singer’s death, carried out an extensive investigation spanning several months.

According to officials, the SIT examined more than 300 witnesses, collected forensic and digital evidence, and conducted multiple rounds of interrogation before finalising the charge sheet.

The SIT charge sheet has named several individuals in connection with the case, with a specific focus on those booked for murder.

According to the chargesheet filed before a local court in Guwahati, festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddartha Sarma, bandmate Sekhar Jyoti Goswami, and co-singer Amritprava Mahanta have been charged under sections related to murder for their alleged roles in the incident.

In addition, Zubeen Garg’s personal security officers, Paresh Baishya and Nandeshwar Bora, have also been named in the chargesheet on similar grounds. Separately, the singer’s cousin.

The cousin of the celebrated singer, Sandipan Garg, who had accompanied him to Singapore for an event, has been booked under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, the SIT stated.

--IANS

tdr/dan

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor