Guwahati, February 16 Garima Saikia Garg, wife of popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, and Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar expressed dissatisfaction on Monday over the slow pace at which his death case is being heard by the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court.
With several petitions filed before the court by the accused, the entire process has been delayed as the trial has yet to begin.
The celebrated singer died on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he had gone to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF). The state government has asserted that it was a murder case and has arrested seven people in connection with it.
"The regular hearing has not started yet. The accused are employing delaying tactics. They are submitting different petitions," Kamar told reporters outside the court.
Unless all the petitions are disposed of by the court, the regular trial cannot start, he added.
Garima also expressed unhappiness over the development and appealed to the government to set up a fast-track court.
"They (the accused) are delaying the process. Also, we have been requesting a fast-track court for day-to-day hearings, but it has not been set up yet. I request the government again for it," she added.
The accused in the case include NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, his two band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, his cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, and his PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.
Shyamkanu is the younger brother of former DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, who was also the Chief Information Commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission. Gauhati University's VC Nani Gopal Mahanta, who was the Education Advisor to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, is another elder brother of him.
The NEIF chief organiser has filed a petition to de-freeze his bank accounts, while Sharma sought the proceedings of Singapore's Coroner's Court and discharging his from some sections. Goswami filed a similar plea to discharge him from some sections in the case.
The Coroner's Court in the island nation had, however, ruled out any foul play in Garg's death, and said that the popular singer-songwriter was severely intoxicated and had drowned off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket.
The court has fixed March 2 for the next hearing.
The state cabinet had earlier appointed a five-member team of Special Public Prosecutors (PP) with senior advocate Ziaul Kamar to lead it. It had named Brojendra Mohan Chaudhuri as additional PP, and Kishor Dutta, Pranjal Dutta and Vikash Jammar as assistant PPs.