Guwahati: The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to Shyamkanu Mahanta, a key accused in the case involving the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore last year. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 5.
The plea, registered as SLP (Crl.) No. 11523/2026, was heard by a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan.
During the proceedings, the Assam government provided an update on the trial, noting that evidence is actively being recorded. The state informed the court that 94 out of the 394 witnesses had recorded their statements by August 14.
Counsel for Mahanta argued that key witnesses from Singapore are yet to be examined. In response, the state government stated that these testimonies are expected to be recorded over the next two to three weeks, noting that these individuals were already questioned by the investigating officer during the initial probe.
The bench urged the state to expedite the trial process. No final order was issued on the bail plea, and the matter remains pending until the next hearing on October 5.
Mahanta was arrested in October 2025 and is one of seven people facing charges in the case. He had organised the North East India Festival in Singapore.
Of the seven accused, four, including Mahanta, have been charged with murder by a fast-track court in Assam, charges they have all denied.