Guwahati, Oct 13 (IANS) Singer Amritprabha Mahanta, an accused in the death case of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg, was released from Haflong sub-jail on Tuesday, four days after the Gauhati High Court granted her bail.
Mahanta, who had been lodged in the prison since October 17, 2025, walked out following the completion of the required legal formalities.
She is the first accused to secure bail in the main case relating to Garg’s death.
Justice Pranjal Das of the Gauhati High Court granted her bail on October 9 on furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 along with two sureties of the same amount.
Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar had confirmed the court’s decision following hearings that continued over several days.
In its detailed order, the High Court observed that several medical precautions prescribed for Garg appeared, prima facie, to have been violated before his death.
The court noted that the singer, who had multiple health conditions, should ideally have had a dedicated caretaker or medical attendant to ensure compliance with the prescribed medical protocol.
However, the court made it clear that determining whether any accused was responsible for the alleged violations and whether these attracted criminal liability would be decided during the trial.
Garg, 52, died on September 19, 2025, while swimming in the sea off Singapore, where he had travelled to attend the North East India Festival.
His death triggered widespread outrage across Assam, with fans and civil society groups demanding a comprehensive investigation.
The Assam government subsequently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The SIT chargesheet named seven accused. Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, bandmates Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta were charged with murder.
Garg’s cousin Sandipan Garg was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, while personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya faced charges of criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
Mahanta’s release does not amount to an acquittal. The trial proceedings continue, and the charges against her and the other accused remain subject to judicial determination.
–IANS
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