Zubeen Garg case: Court reserves order on Siddharth Sarma's flat, Singapore files

Guwahati, Feb 16: The Court of the District and Sessions Judge, on Monday, heard extensive arguments over two hearings spanning nearly two-and-a-half hours in connection with proceedings involving the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg.

Among the matters taken up was a petition seeking the de-listing of an apartment co-owned by one of the key accused Siddhartha Sarma’s mother from seizure. The defence argued that the property could not be sustainably attached without infringing upon the rights of the co-owner.

Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar, speaking to The Assam Tribune, said the accused had sought to remove the apartment from the list of seized properties. The prosecution, however, questioned the financial capacity behind the transaction.

“It was argued that the apartment cannot be seized without violating the co-owner’s rights. We have raised the question of how a salaried employee earning around Rs 50,000 could have undertaken such a financial transaction without links to the alleged embezzlement,” Kamar said.

In a separate plea, the defence requested that documents and files presented before a Singapore court in earlier proceedings be produced before the trial court.

Counsel for the accused submitted that all soft copies of documents relating to the prior case should be placed on record to ensure a fair trial.

After hearing arguments on the various petitions, the Sessions Court reserved its orders.

Outside the court premises, Garima Garg, wife of artiste Zubeen Garg, expressed concern over what she described as repeated objections by the defence, stating that such challenges raised questions about the smooth conduct of proceedings.

She also thanked Special Public Prosecutor Kamar for his representation in the case.

Meanwhile, a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an associate of Sarma is scheduled to be heard by the Gauhati High Court on February 25.

The petition seeks the reopening of the Mahavir Aqua packaged drinking water plant, which was earlier sealed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The matter is stated to be linked to a broader investigation connected to the death of Garg.

The Sessions Court has fixed March 2 as the next date of hearing, pending any interim orders on the petitions currently under consideration.

By Md Sahil Ahmed Choudhury