Shyam Kanu Mahanta Moves Supreme Court for Bail

Justices BV Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi issued a formal notice to the Assam government on Tuesday, demanding a response to a bail petition from festival organiser Shyam Kanu Mahanta. He currently remains incarcerated on murder and cheating charges directly tied to the September 2025 drowning of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, representing the accused, argued his client poses absolutely no flight risk, noting that Mahanta has already surrendered his passport to authorities. The apex court subsequently listed the next hearing for late July.

Garg’s tragic passing sent immediate shockwaves across eastern India, deeply saddening his vast, dedicated fanbase in neighboring regions like Odisha and West Bengal. After the Gauhati High Court firmly rejected his bail application late last May, Mahanta escalated his critical legal battle to New Delhi.

State Prosecution Allegations

Investigators firmly insist this incident was a calculated plot rather than a simple accidental drowning. Authorities allege Mahanta intentionally endangered Garg by supplying liquor, fully knowing the artist battled epilepsy and had recently undergone intense de-addiction therapy. Prosecutors claim the organiser specifically modified hotel room assignments to maintain a steady alcohol supply. They further state he completely disregarded strict medical warnings against allowing the singer on any water-related excursions during the trip.

Police records show Mahanta fled to Malaysia immediately after the incident, forcing crucial Interpol intervention before his eventual arrest in Delhi last October. Officials also accuse him of purposefully erasing digital evidence and giving contradictory public statements. Mahanta vigorously denies these serious accusations, stating he only co-managed the festival. He maintains that he explicitly requested hotel management to deny Garg any alcohol and had no role in planning the fatal yacht excursion.