The Gauhati High Court on Friday granted bail to Amritprava Mahanta, a co-singer of the late Zubeen Garg, in the case related to his death. She is the first accused in the matter to get bail from the court.
Bail granted on a bond of Rs 50,000
According to an ANI report, Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar said the court allowed bail on a bond of Rs 50,000. The order came after Mahanta moved a bail petition before the High Court. She had been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Assam Police in 2025, after being questioned for several hours.
How Zubeen Garg passed away
The singer died in Singapore on September 19, 2025, in a scuba diving accident. This was a day before he was due to perform at the Northeast India Festival. Shyamkanu Mahanta, who has organised the festival since 2013, was also arrested after Garg’s death.
Supreme Court’s direction on the trial
In August, the Supreme Court asked the Assam government to ensure a careful and speedy trial against Shyamkanu Mahanta, who faces criminal charges in the case. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan was told that the trial was being held daily and that several key witnesses were expected to depose in the coming weeks. Justice Nagarathna said orally that the court was keeping the State under pressure to move the trial forward and that the bench would review the progress when the matter was heard again.
Arguments in court
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Shyamkanu Mahanta, argued that Garg was an adult who willingly boarded a boat, went into the sea wearing a life jacket and then drowned. He added that his client was not present when the incident took place.Dave also questioned the claim that Mahanta conspired to cause Garg’s death by not looking after him properly or by giving him alcohol. He said Garg was an adult and Mahanta could not be blamed for his choice to drink.The State, however, maintained that Garg’s death was not an accident and that the prosecution had material pointing to a conspiracy.
