The Guwahati High Court today heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in connection with the death of popular singer and cultural icon late Zubeen Garg. The PIL, submitted by Aabhijeet Sharma and Palash Ranjan Baruah, seeks a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding Zubeen’s death. The court registered the case as PIL/46/2025 and accepted it for hearing on 14 November 2025.
The matter was taken up by a Division Bench comprising Hon’ble Mr. Justice Michael Zothankhuma and Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Mital Thakuria. Senior Advocate K. N. Choudhary appeared on behalf of the petitioners.
The respondents named in the case include several key ministries—the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of DONER, and the Ministry of Culture—along with the State of Assam, the High Commissioner of India in Singapore, Trend MMS Pvt. Ltd., Shyam Kanu Mahanta, and Siddharth Sharma. 
During today’s hearing, the High Court issued a significant direction to the government. The Bench ordered the authorities to submit a full progress report on the investigation into Zubeen Garg’s death by 17 December 2025. According to the petitioners, this directive marks an important development in their pursuit of justice. They said they had not expected such an order from the court at this stage.
The petitioners also expressed that once the progress report is placed before the Bench, it will become clear if there was any negligence by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). They noted that the report will reach the court directly, making the process more transparent. This, they said, will also allow them to bring any concerns to the court’s attention in the future.
All related PILs linked to the case will now be clubbed together for further proceedings. Senior Advocate K. N. Choudhary, who represents PIL 46/2025, will lead the case in the coming days. For the petitioners, this consolidation and leadership mark another step forward.
During the hearing, the Division Bench also made a remark regarding the earlier sittings of the Justice Saikia Inquiry Commission. The judges observed that it was “unfortunate” that a sitting High Court judge had to sit with folded hands while attempting to deliver justice in a matter that saw a large number of people coming forward to give their statements.
