Himanta to discuss setting up of fast-track court with Zubeen's family

Guwahati, Feb 24 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that he will discuss with singer Zubeen Garg's family members the setting up of a fast-track court for the trial of the cases related to his death.

The current judge has rejected the bail applications of all seven accused, and as a rule, when there is a good result from a person, they are usually not changed, the chief minister said on the sidelines of a programme at Mariani in Jorhat district.

''The blame shouldn't fall on me if the case goes to fast-track court and the accused gets bail," he said.

The process may be slow but the accused are still in jail.... they have been there for the last five months and have not been able to come out on bail, Sarma said "We will discuss this properly with the family members of Zubeen Garg and then take a decision," the CM said.

Regarding the opposition's allegation that the accused will be released after the assembly elections, Sarma said that they see the situation from a ''political angle, but Zubeen was above politics''.

The singer's wife, Garima Saikia Garg and his sister Palme Borthakur, expressed their "dissatisfaction over the slow pace" of the progress of the case being heard by the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court.

They had appealed to the government to set up a fast-track court.

"I do not know why the court is entertaining the accused's petitions. They are delaying it. Also, we have been requesting a fast-track court for day-to-day hearing, but it has not been set up yet. I request the government again for it," Garima said.

Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar had also called for a fast-track court, as with several petitions filed before the court by the accused, the entire process has been delayed.

The regular hearing has not started yet, with the accused adopting delaying tactics by submitting different petitions, and unless all the petitions are disposed of by the court, the regular trial cannot start, he said.

The next date of the hearing of the case is on March 2.

Among the seven accused arrested in the case, three of them – Garg's band member Amritprava Mahanta and his two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) Paresh Baishya and Nandeswar Bora – had earlier filed for bail, which was rejected during the last hearing on January 30.

North East India Festival Director Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's secretary Sidhartha Sharma, his band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava were accused of murder in the chargesheet by the Special Investigating Team constituted by the Assam government to probe into the singer's death.

The singer's cousin and suspended Assam Police officer Sandipan Garg has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, while the singer's two PSOs have been charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust by misappropriating funds or property entrusted to them.

The SIT had submitted the chargesheet on December 12 and the first hearing was held on December 16.

Garg had gone to attend the North East India Festival at Singapore, where he died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea on September 19. PTI DG DG RG