Court Rejects Bail Plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta in Zubeen Garg Death Case, Cites Risk of Absconding

A fast-track court on April 30 rejected the bail application of Shyamkanu Mahanta in the high-profile case related to the death of singer Zubeen Garg.

The order was pronounced after hearing detailed arguments from both the prosecution and defence, with the court observing that the accused’s conduct raised serious concerns regarding his likelihood of absconding. The detailed reasoned judgment is yet to be made available.

Speaking to the media, Senior Advocate and Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar said the court had taken note of the accused allegedly leaving the place of occurrence in Singapore and subsequently travelling to Malaysia after the incident.

“The court has taken this conduct seriously and viewed it as an indication of potential risk of absconding. On that ground, bail has been rejected,” Kamar said.

The prosecution also argued that Shyamkanu Mahanta had allegedly provided a liquor bottle that was reportedly consumed by Zubeen Garg in a hotel lobby, after which the singer became drowsy and was in a vulnerable condition. It was further submitted that despite awareness of Garg’s epilepsy condition, he was allegedly allowed to enter water under unsafe circumstances.

Kamar said the court accepted the prosecution’s submissions at this stage while rejecting the bail plea.

In a related development, the court has also permitted attachment of certain assets linked to the accused. This includes a partnership stake in Mahaveer Aqua, which the prosecution claims was acquired using funds allegedly misappropriated from Zubeen Garg. The order was passed under Section 107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Additionally, six bank accounts alleged to be connected to the accused were also attached by the court. The prosecution further claimed that some of these accounts were held in the names of the accused’s close relatives, who reportedly had no independent source of income.

Kamar said the prosecution has argued that the accused failed to produce income tax records or documentation to establish the legitimacy of the funds.

The matter will now come up for further hearing on May 2, when accused persons are expected to submit written arguments at the charge-framing stage. The court is likely to proceed toward deciding the charges thereafter.

The prosecutor also confirmed that no fresh bail applications have been filed by the other accused, and earlier bail pleas had already been rejected.

The case continues to draw significant public attention as it moves into the next stage of trial proceedings.

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