Trial proceedings in the murder case of Assam singer Zubeen Garg formally began on Monday, with the district and sessions court in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district taking up the matter for the second time and issuing key directions to the investigating agency.
The court has listed the next hearing for January 3. The first hearing in the case was held on December 16. All seven accused were produced before the court through video conferencing for the second consecutive time, citing law and order considerations.
Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19, sparking widespread public reaction across Assam. In October, the crime investigation department arrested seven individuals, including the late singer&rsquo;s brother, in connection with the case, registering it as a murder.
A special investigation team submitted a charge sheet of nearly 12,000 pages before the chief judicial magistrate on December 12. Following the December 16 hearing, the case was committed to the sessions court and registered as Sessions Case No. 256/2025.
During Monday&rsquo;s proceedings, the court directed the investigating team to supply hard copies of the charge sheet to the accused within seven days. The direction came after the defence raised concerns about difficulties in accessing the document, which had been submitted digitally on pen drives.
Despite an earlier appeal by the Lawyers&rsquo; Association requesting its members not to represent the accused, advocate Gabriel Sahu appeared on behalf of accused Amritprabha Mahanta. No bail pleas were moved by any of the accused during the hearing.
After the proceedings, members of the legal fraternity flagged what they termed serious shortcomings in the prosecution&rsquo;s preparedness. Advocate Apurba Sharma of the Lawyers&rsquo; Association said the charge sheet had been handed to the public prosecutor only in digital format, despite the lack of basic infrastructure.
He pointed out that the public prosecutor did not even have access to a computer, raising questions about how such a voluminous charge sheet could be examined effectively. Sharma stressed the need for a dedicated prosecution team and adequate equipment to ensure a fair and efficient trial.
With the next hearing scheduled in less than two weeks, Sharma questioned whether the charge sheet could be properly analysed in time. He said the Lawyers&rsquo; Association would submit a memorandum to the government on December 23, demanding day-to-day hearings and the appointment of additional public prosecutors.
&ldquo;This case has immense emotional significance. If justice is the priority, the government must ensure minimum infrastructure and a full-fledged prosecution team,&rdquo; he said.
Senior advocate and public prosecutor Dhrubajyoti Das is representing the prosecution, with advocates Amitabh Baruah and Prabin Kumar expected to assist him. The January 3 hearing is likely to be conducted virtually.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had urged the court to hold day-to-day hearings, calling the case a clear instance of murder.
Meanwhile, authorities in Singapore last week reiterated that they do not suspect any foul play in Garg&rsquo;s death, even as proceedings continue under the country&rsquo;s Coroners Act, 2010. They said their findings would be submitted to the state coroner, with a coroner&rsquo;s inquiry scheduled for January and February 2026.
Garg&rsquo;s sister, Pamee Borthakur, who was present during Monday&rsquo;s proceedings, expressed hope that the trial would be fast-tracked. She said the family has not yet received a sealed copy of the charge sheet and added that it was difficult to gauge the accused&rsquo;s demeanour as they appeared before the court virtually.

Court flags prosecution gaps as trial opens in late singer Zubeen Garg murder case

Zubeen Garg Murder Trial Begins in Assam

Court flags prosecution gaps as trial opens in late singer Zubeen Garg murder case

December 23, 2025 | 11:26 IST