Guwahati, May 18 (IANS) Assam’s Fast Track Court on Monday heard the bail plea of Shekharjyoti Goswami, a former bandmate of iconic Assamese singer Zubeen Garg and one of the accused in the sensational death probe linked to the ace musician.

After completion of the hearing, the court reserved its order on Goswami’s bail petition and fixed May 28 for pronouncement of the verdict.

Goswami, who has been lodged in judicial custody for the past several months, was not produced before the court on Monday. His counsel argued in favour of bail citing the prolonged period of incarceration, while the prosecution opposed the plea, maintaining that the investigation into the high-profile case remained significant.

The case pertains to the death of Zubeen Garg, who died on September 19 last year while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore. The incident occurred a day before the singer was scheduled to perform at an event organised under the NEIF banner.

Following the incident, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Assam Police CID conducted an extensive probe and filed a chargesheet in December. The chargesheet named seven accused persons, including Mahanta. Of them, four have been booked on charges of murder, intensifying the seriousness of the case.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had termed the case a “plain and simple murder” during a discussion in the state Assembly, underlining the government’s stand on the matter.

Meanwhile, a parallel investigation carried out by Singapore Police reached a different conclusion, stating that there was no evidence of foul play in Garg’s death. Despite this, authorities in Assam have maintained that the findings of the foreign probe would not influence the ongoing investigation and trial in the state.

The case continues to attract widespread public and political attention, with the upcoming court order on the bail plea expected to be a crucial stage in the legal proceedings.

–IANS

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