Trial begins in Zubeen Garg murder case; lawyers flag gaps in prosecution preparedness

TRial proceedings in the dispatch caseful of Assam isaac merrit singer Zubeen Garg commenced on mon, as the dominion and sessions Court in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district took up the matter for hearing for the second time and issued key directions to the investigating agency.The court posted the matter for hearing on January 3. The first hearing was held on December 16. For the second time, all seven accused were produced before the court through video conferencing in view of law and order considerations.Garg died in Singapore on September 19, triggering widespread public reaction across Assam. In October, the Assam Police’s crime investigation department (CID) arrested seven persons, including the late singer’s brother, on charges of murder.The special investigation team (SIT) filed a charge sheet running to nearly 12,000 pages before the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) on December 12. After the December 16 hearing, the case was committed to the sessions court and registered as sessions case no. 256/2025.At Monday’s hearing, the court directed the SIT to provide hard copies of the chargesheet to the accused within seven days, after they cited difficulty in accessing the document, which had been submitted digitally on pen drives.Despite an earlier appeal by the Lawyers’ Association urging members not to represent the accused, advocate Gabriel Sahu appeared on behalf of the accused Amritprabha Mahanta. No bail application was made by any of the accused.Following the hearing, members of the legal fraternity pointed to what they described as serious gaps in the prosecution’s preparedness. Advocate Apurba Sharma of the Lawyers’ Association said the chargesheet was submitted to the public prosecutor in digital form despite the absence of basic infrastructure.“The public prosecutor does not even have access to a computer. How is it possible to go through nearly 12,000 pages under these circumstances?” Sharma said, adding that a proper team and adequate equipment were essential for effective prosecution.With the next hearing less than two weeks away, Sharma questioned how the chargesheet could be analysed in time. He said the Lawyers’ Association would submit a memorandum to the government on December 23, seeking day-to-day hearings and the appointment of additional public prosecutors.“This case carries enormous emotional significance. If the government wants justice, it must ensure minimum infrastructure and a full-fledged prosecution team,” Sharma said.Senior advocate and public prosecutor Dhrubajyoti Das is appearing for the prosecution, with advocates Amitabh Baruah and Prabin Kumar expected to assist him. The January 3 hearing is likely to be held virtually.Earlier, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the court to conduct day-to-day hearings, describing the case as a clear instance of murder.However, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) last week reiterated that it does not suspect any foul play in Garg’s death, even as investigations continue under Singapore’s Coroners Act, 2010. The SPF said it was aware of online speculation and Indian media reports on the case, and clarified that its findings would be submitted to the State Coroner. A Coroner’s Inquiry has been scheduled for January and February 2026.Garg’s sister, Pamee Borthakur, who was present during the proceedings, said the family hopes the trial will be fast-tracked. She said they are yet to receive a sealed copy of the chargesheet and that it was difficult to assess the accused’s demeanour as they appeared virtually.