4 min readGuwahatiMar 3, 2026 07:16 AM ISTZubeen Garg died on September 19 in Singapore.A Guwahati sessions court hearing the case related to superstar singer Zubeen Garg’s death on Monday directed Assam Police to “de-freeze” the bank accounts and credit cards of key accused Shyamkanu Mahanta, observing that the “investigating agency did not follow the laid down procedure of freezing of bank accounts”.The court was hearing a petition by Mahanta, through his counsel, seeking the unfreezing of six savings accounts, two credit cards and a current account in the name of a trust he runs. All had been frozen during the investigation.Mahanta, organiser of the Northeast India Festival Singapore — which Garg had travelled to attend at the time of his death in September 2025 — is one of four people charged with murder in the case. Besides murder, he has also been charged with “common knowledge”, criminal conspiracy, extortion, cheating and destruction of evidence. Even before his arrest on October 1 after returning from Singapore, and amid mass outcry over Garg’s death, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced that all of Mahanta’s bank accounts had been frozen.On Monday, the court recorded arguments by Mahanta’s counsel supporting the unfreezing. “It is submitted that the documents belong to independent legal entity maintained for lawful personal and business purpose and that no proceeds of crime have been credited, routed or transacted through the said accounts. It is submitted that investigation has been completed and charge-sheet has been laid and as there is no material to suggest that the accounts contained proceeds of crime, no lawful purpose would be served by keeping the accounts frozen,” the order noted.It further said: “It is submitted that prolonged freezing of the bank accounts has caused severe financial hardships and distress to the accused and his family members to meet essential day to day expenses, discharging banking obligations and clear dues”.The court recorded that the Special Public Prosecutor argued the accounts had been frozen under Section 106 of the BNSS “due to serious allegation and scale of suspected financial improprieties”, and that “further investigation under section 193(9) BNSS [which enables police to conduct further investigation even after the submission of chargesheet] is kept open against the accused person.” It also noted the argument that the Enforcement Directorate has registered a parallel investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act “in respect of the same allegations forming scheduled offences”.“It is submitted that accounts/cards were frozen only after investigation revealed specific reasons to suspect that they were used in connection with or contained proceeds of crime… It is submitted that protection of potential proceeds of crime is a valid ground for continuing freezing of accounts,” the court recorded.Story continues below this adAfter hearing both sides, the court noted that under Section 106 of the BNSS, after seizure or freezing, every police officer must report it to the Magistrate having jurisdiction — a “procedural safeguard so that police cannot act arbitrarily.” It also noted that Section 107 of the BNSS requires a police officer, if they believe property is derived directly or indirectly from criminal activity, to seek approval from the Superintendent or Commissioner of Police and apply to the jurisdictional Magistrate for attachment.Directing the investigating agency to unfreeze the accounts and credit cards, the court wrote: “While going through the case in our hand it is found that the Investigating Agency during investigation after freezing of the bank accounts has not reported the same to the learned Jurisdictional Magistrate as required under section 106 (3) of BNSS. Before freezing of the bank accounts the Investigating Agency also did not take approval of the jurisdictional Magistrate under section 107 of BNSS. The Investigating Agency did not follow the laid down procedure of freezing of bank accounts.”It added: “It is needless to say that the parallel investigation done by the Enforcement Directorate under PMLA for laundering money is completely separate from this case and has no bearing upon this case.”Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati. From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges. Expertise and Experience Ethnic & Social Dynamics: Deep-dive coverage of regional conflicts (such as the crisis in Manipur) and peace-building efforts. Border & Geopolitics: Tracking developments along India’s international borders and their impact on local communities. Governance & Policy: Reporting on state elections, tribal council decisions, and the implementation of central schemes in the North East. Specialized Education Background: Prior to her current role, Sukrita was a dedicated Education Correspondent for The Indian Express in Delhi. This experience provided her with a sharp analytical lens for: Policy Analysis: Evaluating the National Education Policy (NEP) and university-level reforms. Student Affairs: Covering high-stakes stories regarding campus politics, national entrance exams, and the challenges within the primary and secondary education sectors. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Zubeen Garg