Himanta Sarma To Approach Court Over Threat To Gherao Home In Zubeen Case

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state government will bring to the notice of the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court threats by a group to gherao his residence if bail is granted to two prime accused in the Zubeen Garg death case.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma said the threat given by a group led by a legislator poses a "danger to my family and could amount to a direct attempt to murder".

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the bail petitions of prime accused Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma on November 30.

The Gauhati High Court granted bail to singer Amritprava Mahanta, an accused in the Zubeen Garg death case, on October 9 against a bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount. It has also granted bail to Sandipan Garg in the case.

Referring to the high court order granting bail to Amritprava Mahanta, Sarma said it mentioned that 160 witnesses had not named her during the hearing, although they had done so during the investigation conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

"People should question the witnesses, not me. The court should be allowed to do its work. The call to gherao my residence by a group led by an MLA, if Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma are granted bail, is a serious matter. They are not talking about protesting near the Chief Minister's Office but about gheraoing my residence. This poses a threat to my family and could amount to a direct attempt to murder," Sarma said.

Sarma said he had asked the legal department to bring the matter to the notice of the courts.

He said those questioning the judicial process should approach the Supreme Court or the high court instead of targeting him.

The court should be allowed to do its work, and those asking questions on the judicial process are trying to obstruct the path of justice, he said.

The Zubeen Garg Nyay Samiti, led by Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, had said on Thursday that they would gherao the chief minister's residence if Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma were granted bail or if the state government failed to mount an effective legal opposition.

Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea, and the police of that country had said that no foul play was involved in his death. He was in Singapore to attend the fourth edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).