Guwahati, Dec 16: The Kamrup Metropolitan Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court held its first hearing in the Zubeen Garg death case with the seven accused virtually appearing before the court from Baksa and Haflong jails, where they are currently lodged.
Even as the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) had directed physical appearance of the accused before the court, the criminal investigation department (CID) of Assam Police had reportedly expressed its inability to produce them physically owing to law-and-order concerns.
It may be recalled that the special investigation team (SIT) of Assam CID, which probed the case, had submitted a comprehensive chargesheet before the CJM court last Friday.
The chargesheet, which along with relevant documents (bank documents, digital evidence, forensic reports), runs into about 12000 pages, was brought to the court in four trunks by a delegation of SIT officers.
During the virtual hearing, copies of the chargesheet were formally served on all the accused in their respective jails. The family members of the accused were briefed about its contents.
Speaking to the media, an advocate informed that pen drives containing detailed information on the charges framed against each accused were provided to facilitate legal consultation.
“The accused were also asked about their health and whether they had received the documents during the virtual hearing,” the advocate said.
The next date of hearing has been scheduled on December 22, 2026.
Notably, murder charges under BNS Section 103 have been framed against four accused, Siddharth Sharma, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta.
Culpable homicide charge (not amounting to murder) under Section 105 of BNS has been framed against another accused, Sandipan Garg.
