Zubeen case: Fast-track court begins hearing; family hopeful of swift justice
Court to hear prime accused Shyamkannu Mahanta’s counsel on March 31, followed by Siddhartha Sharma’s submissions via video conference
The proceedings were conducted in Court No. 3 of the Kamrup Sessions Court.
Guwahati, Mar 30: The newly constituted fast-track sessions court for conducting day-to-day trial proceedings in the Zubeen Garg death case held its first hearing on Monday, marking the start of an accelerated legal process.
The proceedings were conducted in Court No. 3 of the Kamrup Sessions Court, with Judge Sharmila Bhuyan presiding. The case will now be taken up on a day-to-day basis.
During the hearing, counsel for one of the seven accused, Amritprava Mahanta, asserted her innocence and challenged the inclusion of murder charges in the case.
The court is scheduled to hear arguments from the counsel of prime accused Shyamkannu Mahanta at 10:30 am on Tuesday, followed by submissions from Garg’s manager and another prime accused, Siddhartha Sharma’s counsel at 2:00 pm via video conference.
“Following their hearing, the court will take up the discharge petitions of the other individuals involved in the case,” special prosecutor Jiyaur Kamar told the press.
Reacting to the commencement of proceedings, Garima Saikia Garg, wife of the cultural icon, said a new phase of the legal process had begun.
“We hope the proceedings move forward as expected and that justice is delivered swiftly,” she said, adding that the family remains hopeful of a fair judicial outcome.
However, concerns were also voiced by those close to the deceased. Partha Goswami, Garg’s bandmate, questioned whether the accused might secure bail.
“Not even two months have passed and we have already lost two cases. One accused has opened a factory using money linked to Zubeen, and another’s bank account has been unfrozen. This is not just a weak chargesheet, it is a failed one. We are leaving everything to God,” he said.
Garg’s friend and musician Raja Baruah expressed cautious optimism. “We are hopeful about the fast-track court. The hearing process has just begun, and we will understand it better as it progresses,” he said.
Earlier, on February 26, the Assam Cabinet had approved the constitution of a dedicated fast-track court for day-to-day trial in the case.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan.
“The Cabinet has approved the formation of a dedicated court for the day-to-day trial of the case. We will place a request before the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, who will take a decision on the constitution of the court and the proceedings,” Sarma had said.