In a significant development, the seven individuals accused in the high-profile murder case of singer Zubeen Garg were presented before a court in Guwahati on Tuesday. The accused, including the organiser of the North East India Festival in Singapore, Shyamkanu Mahanta, faced their first hearing via virtual means before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup (Metro) district.
Virtual Production and Court Proceedings
The Assam Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) opted for a virtual production of the accused to prevent any potential law and order issues that could have arisen from their physical presence at the court premises. All seven have been lodged in two separate jails since their arrest on October 15.
Following the hearing, government advocate Pradip Konwar informed the media that the court inquired about the well-being of the accused. In line with the court's directive, a CID team served copies of the chargesheet to the seven individuals through the prison authorities.
Key Decisions and Future Trial Process
The court has officially scheduled the next hearing for December 22. On that date, there is a strong possibility that the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court will transfer the case to a sessions court to initiate the formal trial. Since the case involves murder charges, the trial for Zubeen Garg's death is mandated to be conducted in the sessions court of Kamrup (Metro) district under the provisions of the new BNSS, 2023.
In a related move, the families of the accused were also provided with copies of the chargesheet and other pertinent documents in a digital format, delivered on pen drives.
Legal Representation and Background
The accused were represented in court by advocate Dhrubajyoti Das from the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA). His appointment came after a notable decision by the local lawyers' fraternity. On September 24, lawyers in the city had unanimously declared they would not represent the accused in this trial.
With no private lawyer coming forward, the court followed standard protocol and directed the DLSA to appoint an advocate for the defence, leading to advocate Das taking up the representation for Tuesday's proceedings.
