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Zubeen death case: Gauhati HC appoints fast-track sessions court for day-to-day trial
The 52-year-old singer died while swimming in the sea on September 19 last year in Singapore, where he had gone to attend the fourth North East India Festival
The Gauhati High Court on Thursday constituted an exclusive fast-track sessions court to conduct day-to-day trial proceedings in the Zubeen Garg death case, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective pursuit of justice in the beloved Zubeen Garg murder case,” Sarma said in a post on X.
He said that the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Ashutosh Kumar, has nominated Sharmila Bhuyan, currently serving as district judge in Baksa, to preside over the dedicated court.
“The Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court has been pleased to nominate Smt. Sharmila Bhuyan to preside over an exclusive fast-track sessions court for conducting day-to-day trial proceedings in this matter. This decisive step will greatly expedite the judicial process and reinforces our commitment to ensuring timely justice,” he added.
“I express my deep appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to Justice Ashutosh Kumar, Hon’ble Chief Justice, Gauhati High Court, for accepting our request and for his unwavering support in strengthening the cause of justice”, Sarma added.
Garg died on September 19, 2025, in Singapore during a yacht trip, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East Festival.
While initial reports from Singapore suggested an accidental drowning, the Assam CM later described the incident as a “plain and simple murder”, prompting a parallel criminal investigation in India under a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the CID.
The SIT filed a chargesheet in December 2025 running into over 12,000 pages under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
So far, seven persons, including the singer’s cousin and a serving Assam Police officer, have been arrested and remain in judicial custody. Multiple hearings have already taken place in a Kamrup court, while parallel proceedings continue before a coroner’s court in Singapore to establish the sequence of events leading to Garg’s death.
The fast-track court order also fulfils a key decision taken by the Assam cabinet on October 16 last year, when the state formally resolved to approach the high court for day-to-day hearings and the appointment of a special public prosecutor to ensure a swift and transparent trial.
The demand gathered further momentum in January this year when Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the constitution of a special court and stronger prosecution.
Public prosecutors during recent hearings also argued that without fast-track proceedings, it would be difficult to effectively handle the case, given the voluminous chargesheet and the large legal teams engaged by the accused.
The state government is also in the process of appointing a dedicated special public prosecutor to handle the case. The chief minister had earlier stated that the government will extend full logistical support in this regard.
