Zubeen's manager, fest organiser among 4 to face murder trial

GUWAHATI: Four of the seven arrested suspects linked to cultural icon Zubeen Garg's death, including the lone woman in the group, have been charged with murder and another with culpable homicide not amounting to murder in a 12,000-page chargesheet filed Friday by the special investigation team (SIT) probing what happened off Singapore's St John's Island on Sept 19.

North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, at whose invitation Zubeen travelled to Singapore, the singer-composer-actor's manager Siddharth Sharma, band member Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and female singer Amritprava Mahanta will face trial for murder (BNS Sec 103), common intention (Sec 3), and criminal conspiracy (Sec 61).Motive established in Zubeen case: Assam CM Himanta


Zubeen's cousin and suspended Assam Police Service officer Sandipan Garg has been charged with culpable homcide not amounting to murder (Sec 105), while PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya will be tried for criminal breach of trust (Sec 316) and criminal conspiracy.

While other details of the chargesheet received by the Kamrup district CJM's court weren't immediately available, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said its submission within the stipulated timeframe of three months reflected the state govt's commitment to ensuring justice for Zubeen.

"We gave the people of Assam our word. As promised, we have filed a chargesheet under Section 103 (murder) and 11 other sections of BNS," he said. "Motive and criminal conspiracy have been established and examined by the advocate general and our director of prosecution. Everyone is convinced the prosecution will be able to get a conviction."

The BJP-led govt plans to petition the chief justice of Gauhati high court to set up a fast-track court for the trial. Sarma said a special public prosecutor would be appointed once the case moves from the CJM's court to a sessions judge. "These are legal steps that we have to meticulously follow," he told reporters.

The chargesheet includes the SIT's reconstruction of events leading to Zubeen's death, available evidence, statements of the suspects and the testimonies of 300-odd witnesses.

Sarma said the SIT, led by special DGP MP Gupta, had put in "hard labour" to build what he said was a watertight case against the suspects. "Although we have received documents from Singapore, we have built the case with independent findings. Even if court says that no Singapore document is admissible, we have filed a chargesheet with sufficient documentation to prove the charges. Now, it is over to the court. It will definitely give justice."

Shekhar Jyoti and Amritprava are in a sub-jail in Dima Hasao district's Haflong while the rest are in Baksa district jail.

Barring Shyamkanu and the two PSOs, the suspects were on the yacht that took Zubeen to the island for sightseeing and swimming. SIT has recorded the statements of 10 Assamese residents of Singapore who accompanied the group on that trip.
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