Zubeen Garg case: Gauhati HC to hear manager Siddhartha Sarma's bail plea June 4
Synopsis
The Zubeen Garg death probe enters a decisive courtroom phase on 4 June, when the Gauhati High Court hears the bail plea of his former manager Siddhartha Sarma. With four of seven accused already facing murder charges and Singapore Police ruling out foul play, the case sits at a striking fault line between two jurisdictions and an Assam public refusing to let go.
Key Takeaways
The Gauhati High Court will hear Siddhartha Sarma's bail plea on 4 June before Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia.
Sarma, Zubeen Garg's former manager, is the prime accused; a fast-track court earlier denied him bail.
Co-accused festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta was recently denied bail by the High Court.
Garg died on 19 September last year while swimming near Lazarus Island , Singapore.
The Assam SIT chargesheet filed in December named seven accused ; four face murder charges.
Singapore Police reportedly found no evidence of foul play, but Assam authorities say their probe will continue independently.
The Gauhati High Court will on 4 June hear the bail plea of Siddhartha Sarma, the former manager of late Assamese singer Zubeen Garg and the prime accused in the probe into the singer's death. The matter is listed before the court of Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia, according to court sources.
Why Sarma moved the High Court
Sarma approached the High Court after a fast-track court rejected his bail application, citing the gravity of the allegations and the ongoing investigation. He had been booked alongside six others named in the chargesheet filed by the Assam Police's Special Investigation Team.
Earlier setback for co-accused Shyamkanu Mahanta
The hearing comes days after the Gauhati High Court denied bail to festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, another prime accused in the case. The fast-track court had earlier dismissed Mahanta's plea as well. While refusing relief, the High Court reportedly weighed the seriousness of the charges and the stage of the investigation.
Legal observers said the court's reasoning suggests the probe is at a sensitive juncture and that premature release of the accused could risk influencing witnesses or evidence.
What the case is about
Zubeen Garg died on 19 September last year while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore, a day before he was scheduled to perform at an event organised under the NEIF banner. His death triggered widespread grief and public outrage across Assam, with a sustained 'Justice for Zubeen Garg' campaign on social media demanding accountability.
The Special Investigation Team constituted by the Assam Police's Criminal Investigation Department filed a chargesheet in December, naming seven accused. Of these, four have been booked on murder charges, sharply raising the legal stakes.
The Singapore divergence
A parallel inquiry by Singapore Police reportedly concluded that there was no evidence of foul play in Garg's death. Assam authorities, however, have maintained that the overseas finding will not bind the domestic investigation or trial — a position that has kept the case politically and emotionally charged.
What happens next
The 4 June hearing is expected to be a pivotal moment in the legal trajectory. Garg's family and supporters have welcomed the earlier denial of bail to Mahanta, calling it a step toward a fair trial. A similar outcome for Sarma would keep all prime accused in custody as the probe progresses.
Point of View
But the absence of corroboration from the country where the death occurred is a legal vulnerability the defence will exploit. For Assam's public, this is no longer just a case file; it is a test of whether a beloved icon's death receives the institutional seriousness it demands.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the Gauhati High Court hear Siddhartha Sarma's bail plea?
The Gauhati High Court is scheduled to hear the bail plea on 4 June, in the court of Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia. Sarma, Zubeen Garg's former manager, moved the High Court after a fast-track court rejected his earlier application.
Who is Siddhartha Sarma in the Zubeen Garg death case?
Siddhartha Sarma was the manager of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg and is considered the prime accused in the probe into the singer's death. He is among seven individuals named in the chargesheet filed by the Assam Police's SIT in December.
How did Zubeen Garg die?
Zubeen Garg died on 19 September last year while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore, a day before a scheduled performance at an event under the NEIF banner. The cause and circumstances are the subject of an ongoing Assam Police investigation.
What did the Singapore Police investigation conclude?
A parallel inquiry by Singapore Police reportedly concluded that there was no evidence of foul play in Garg's death. Assam authorities, however, have said the overseas finding will not influence the domestic investigation or trial.
What happened to Shyamkanu Mahanta's bail plea?
The Gauhati High Court recently rejected the bail plea of festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, another prime accused. The court cited the seriousness of the allegations and the ongoing investigation while refusing relief.
