Guwahati, Oct 16: The Gauhati High Court on Friday granted bail to suspended Assam Police DSP Sandipon Garg, an accused in singer Zubeen Garg’s death case.
A single bench of Justice Rajesh Mazumdar granted bail to Garg after hearing his petition, senior advocate Anan Kumar Bhuyan, who represented him, told PTI.
“The court has not read out the full order. We are awaiting the detailed judgment to know on what grounds the bail was granted,” Bhuyan said.
He said the high court was separately hearing a petition seeking to quash the chargesheet against Sandipon Garg, a cousin of the deceased singer.
The suspended police officer has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Bhuyan said Garg was likely to be released after the Durga Puja holidays, as the court would remain closed from Saturday and some formalities were yet to be completed.
On October 9, the high court granted bail to Amrit Prabha Mahanta, another accused in the case, against a bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount. She has since been released from jail.
On September 23, a special court granted bail to the singer’s two personal security officers (PSOs), Nandeswar Borah and Paresh Baishya, in a disproportionate assets case. However, they remain in jail in connection with the singer’s death.
The celebrated singer died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19, 2025, while swimming in the sea. He had travelled to the Southeast Asian country to attend the fourth edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).
NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer’s manager Siddharth Sharma, band member Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, Amrit Prabha Mahanta, Sandipon Garg and the singer’s two PSOs were arrested in connection with the case.
Shyamkanu Mahanta, the prime accused, was charged under eight sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), while seven charges were brought against Sharma. Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta face six charges each, while the two PSOs face two charges each. Sandipon Garg faces one charge.
The accused were booked under various BNS provisions relating to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probed the singer’s death after more than 60 FIRs were registered across the state.
The Singapore Police Force, which conducted a separate investigation, concluded that there was no evidence of foul play.
A Coroner’s Court in Singapore also ruled out foul play, finding that the singer-songwriter was severely intoxicated and had drowned off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket.
Authorities in Assam, however, maintained that the findings of the Singapore probe would not affect the case in the state.
