Zubeen Garg Case: Court Unfreezes Shyamkanu Mahanta’s Bank Account, Flags SIT Lapses

In a significant development in the Zubeen Garg murder case, the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court on Monday directed that the bank account of accused Shyamkanu Mahanta be unfrozen, citing procedural lapses by the prosecution, which is the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police in this case.

During the hearing, the court observed that the prosecution had not followed due procedure while freezing the bank account and had failed to comply with Section 107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Owing to these legal inconsistencies, the court ordered that the account be restored.

The matter of bringing documents from Singapore in connection with accused Siddharth Sharma was also raised. The court noted that the police had already collected several documents from Singapore and submitted them along with the chargesheet.

It further clarified that under the BNSS, the court does not have the authority to directly summon documents from Singapore. If additional documents are required, the proper course would be for the Government of India to make a formal request.

Additionally, the case related to Mahavir Aqua involving Siddharth Sharma is scheduled for hearing again on March 19, which will also be the next date in the main case. According to the police report, Siddharth invested Rs 1.1 crore in Mahavir Aqua, a packaged drinking water company jointly owned by him and his business partner Chetan Dhirachariya.

Police sources claim that during interrogation, Siddharth admitted that the investment was made using money allegedly embezzled from Zubeen Garg’s income.

The court also ruled that Siddharth Sarma must deposit a bank demand draft of Rs 16 lakh at the CID police station if he wishes to have his seized flat reopened. Investigators have alleged that Sharma misappropriated Rs 16 lakh belonging to Zubeen Garg and used the funds to purchase the flat.

Meanwhile, Garima Saikia Garg said the family had not been informed about the progress of the fast-track court and were unaware of how far the matter had moved. She also described the order to unfreeze Shyamkanu Mahanta’s bank account as disappointing.

She also pointed out that earlier, in the Mahavir Aqua matter, a similar order had been passed due to procedural irregularities.

The next hearing in the case has been fixed for March 19.

Also Read: Zubeen Garg Case: Accused Siddharth Sharma Faces Probe Over Rs 1.1 Crore Fund Misuse