Zubeen Garg case: Guwahati court holds 2nd hearing; lawyers flag prosecution gaps

Guwahati, Dec 22: The much-discussed death case of Assam cultural icon Zubeen Garg was taken up for its second hearing before the District and Sessions Court in Guwahati on Monday, with all seven accused produced virtually amid concerns over law and order.

As in the first hearing on December 16, the accused appeared before the court through video conferencing.

During the proceedings, the court directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case to provide physical copies of the charge sheet to the accused, who cited difficulty in accessing the document in its current digital format.

Despite an earlier appeal by the Lawyers’ Association urging members of the legal fraternity not to represent the accused, advocate Gabriel Sahoo appeared on behalf of accused Amritprabha. However, Sahoo reportedly didn’t file any bail petition during Monday’s proceedings.

The Association had earlier issued its appeal on September 26 following Garg’s sudden and mysterious death. The next hearing has been scheduled for January 3.

The SIT’s charge sheet reportedly runs into nearly 12,000 pages and had been submitted in pen drives. The court also directed that hard copies be supplied within seven days.

Later in the day, concerns over the handling of the case came to the fore, with members of the legal fraternity flagging what they described as serious infrastructural shortcomings.

Advocate Apurba Sharma, a member of the Lawyers’ Association, pointed out that the charge sheet was submitted through a pen drive even though the public prosecutor’s office does not have a computer to access it.

“How is it possible for a public prosecutor to go through nearly 12,000 pages without proper infrastructure?” Sharma asked, calling the situation unfortunate.

With the next hearing less than two weeks away, Sharma questioned how the prosecution would be able to prepare adequately.

“In the next 10 to 12 days, how will the public prosecutor read and analyse a 12,000-page charge sheet? There is only one government advocate handling the case, and he does not even have a laptop,” he said.

He also said the Lawyers’ Association will submit a memorandum to the government on December 23, demanding that the case be fast-tracked. “We want day-to-day hearings, and for that, a proper team of public prosecutors is required,” he said.

Advocates Amitabh Baruah and Prabin Kumar are set to join senior advocate and public prosecutor Dhrubajyoti Das in the case.

Stressing the emotional significance of the matter, Sharma urged the government not to treat the case casually.

“This is Zubeen Da’s case. People are emotionally attached to it. If the government truly wants justice, it must provide at least the minimum facilities and a full-fledged prosecution team,” he said.

It was also noted that Monday’s hearing was conducted virtually, and the January 3 hearing may follow the same format.

“It is not yet clear whether the next hearing will be physical or virtual, but there is a possibility it will be conducted online,” Sharma said.

Meanwhile, the late singer’s sister Pamee Borthakur expressed hope that the case would be fast-tracked.

“The next hearing is on January 3. We hope the case will be fast-tracked, as it will be helpful for everyone. We have faith in the court and the government, and we believe they will honour that trust,” she said.

Asked whether she noticed any remorse among the accused, Borthakur said it was difficult to assess since they appeared virtually.

“They all looked fine. Since they were visible on the screen, I couldn’t observe remorse,” she added.