Guwahati, Oct 12: Family members, fans and fellow musicians of Zubeen Garg staged a peaceful protest at Zubeen Kshetra in Sonapur on Monday, demanding justice for the late artiste.
The protest came three days after the Gauhati High Court granted bail to Amritprava Mahanta, one of the seven accused in the case.
The sit-in, organised by the Zubeen Fan Club, was attended by Garima Saikia Garg, Garg’s sister Paami Borthakur, along with admirers and people from different walks of life.
Holding placards bearing slogans such as “Nyay Amar Odhikar” and “Nyay Amar Prapyo”, the protesters sang “Diya Ghurai Diya” and other songs by the acclaimed artiste.
Garima said the family had trusted the judicial process for a year, believing the case would proceed in the right direction.
She also referred to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statement that Garg had been murdered, saying they had assumed he had evidence to support such a declaration.
“We all thought that he (Sarma) must have had proper evidence, or else why a person, who has the responsibility of running the State, would make such an announcement,” she said.
Garima also alleged that Amritprava had tampered with evidence by deleting videos.
“We have heard that Amritprava had several videos, which she later deleted. She tampered with the evidence. So, how was someone who allegedly tampered with videos granted bail, especially by the High Court?” she asked.
She further raised concerns about the family’s safety, asking what protection they could expect if someone as widely loved as Garg could meet such a fate.
“If they can do something like this to Zubeen Garg, who has lakhs of people standing behind him, they might come after us tomorrow. These people are conspirators and murderers. Will they not try to harm us as well? So, where is our security?” she asked.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government could not comment on the High Court’s decision.
Speaking to the press at Chopaidong on Monday, Sarma said the government respected the court’s authority and expressed hope that the fast-track court handling the case would deliver justice.
“Whatever decision the High Court takes, we, as the government, cannot comment on it,” he said, adding that no accused had been granted bail in the main case over the previous year at the Fast track court.
The Gauhati High Court granted bail to Amritprava Mahanta on October 9 after hearing arguments from both sides over several days. She is the first of the seven accused in the main death case to secure bail.
Mahanta’s lawyer, Anand Kumar Bhuyan, said the bail was granted on merit, arguing that the chargesheet did not contain sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations against his client.
Her release from jail is subject to the completion of the required bail formalities. The bail order does not amount to an acquittal, and the case will continue before the fast-track court.