Zubeen Garg case: Repeated adjournments may delay justice, says wife Garima
Raising concern over defence strategy, she said she sensed no remorse among the accused
File image of Garima Saikia Garg and Palmee Bothakur praying at Zubeen Kshetra (Photo: AT)
Guwahati, Jan 3: The third hearing in the case related to the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg was held on Saturday, with his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, present in court to closely follow the proceedings and understand the charges involved.
Speaking to the press after the hearing, Garima expressed concern over repeated adjournments, warning that frequent delays could significantly prolong the judicial process.
“If the case keeps getting dates every 15 days, it may take years to conclude. There are 396 witnesses, and their examination alone will take a considerable amount of time,” she said.
Expressing concern over the legal strategy adopted by the defence, she said she did not sense any remorse during the proceedings.
“They (accused) are taking a very strong stance by engaging lawyers from outside the state. We want the government to respond with an equally strong prosecution team of senior advocates and experts. Otherwise, we will not get the desired outcome,” she said.
Garima has also appointed a lawyer to assist her in the case.
Meanwhile, the two key accused, Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma, appointed lawyers on Saturday, while Sandeepan Garg and Paresh Baishya are being represented by legal aid counsel.
Senior advocate Anand Kumar Bhuyan appeared for Amritprabha Mahanta and moved a bail petition.
During the hearing, the court also took objection to the circulation of uncertified copies of the chargesheet on social media, observing that such dissemination is not permissible under law.
It was noted that earlier, Akhil Gogoi and others had published uncertified copies of the document. Acting on a complaint filed in this regard, the court issued directions to ascertain how the chargesheet copies were accessed and circulated, and scheduled a separate hearing on the issue.
The first hearing of the high-profile case was held on December 16, followed by the second on December 22.
Earlier, the Bar Association had reportedly stated that no lawyer would represent the seven accused, adding another layer of complexity to the proceedings.
On Friday, Garima had addressed her first official press conference since Garg’s demise, announcing the formation of the Zubeen Garg Trust. She said the late singer’s Kharghuli residence would house the trust, which will focus on social and cultural initiatives.