Zubeen Garg death: Shyamkanu Mahanta calls allegations a “calculated witch-hunt”

Guwahati: Assam entrepreneur and cultural activist Shyamkanu Mahanta has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking protection of his fundamental rights.

This follows the scrutiny he faced after the death of singer Zubeen Garg.

Mahanta filed the petition on September 30 while he was in Singapore. This move is a precaution ahead of his return to India and has not yet gained much attention.

In the petition, Mahanta says he is the target of a “well-calculated witch-hunt” and accuses some media outlets of spreading false stories linking him to Zubeen Garg’s death.

He states he has faced a “media trial” and public hostility without evidence.

Mahanta states he was in Singapore on September 19, 2025, the day Zubeen died, preparing for a cultural event and had not met the singer that day.

The petition also criticizes senior Assam government officials for making negative public comments about Mahanta on social media during the investigation, which he says affects the fairness of the probe led by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

He argues these comments damage his reputation and violate his right to life and liberty under the Constitution.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case after it reopens next week.