Guwahati: Gauhati high court has observed that, prima facie, several medical precautions prescribed for Zubeen Garg appear to have been violated before his death and that, given the singer’s multiple health conditions, he should ideally have had a round-the-clock caretaker.The court said whether any accused was responsible for the alleged violations, and whether they attract criminal liability, would be examined by the trial court.The observations were made in the detailed order granting bail to Amritprava Mahanta. The order was uploaded on Monday, while bail was granted on Friday.“All life is precious, but the life of Zubeen Garg was extraordinarily precious for the whole community, the Assamese people, and the people of Assam,” Justice Pranjal Das said.Justice Das said Zubeen, who had co-morbidities, should ideally have had a dedicated personal caretaker or medical attendant round the clock, adding that “…and the sole responsibility of that caretaker would have been to give him the medicines in time, and to ensure strictly that the medical protocol, stipulated by the doctors in Nemcare Hospital and Mumbai, is followed absolutely strictly. It would have been easier to fix responsibility also.”“Of course, now that, the extraordinarily precious life has already been snuffed out, there is no use saying it,” he added.The judge noted that when Garg was hospitalised at Nemcare Hospital, Guwahati, and in Mumbai, doctors prescribed a detailed protocol after his discharge. The protocol included abstaining from alcohol, getting adequate sleep, not driving, avoiding fire and water, taking prescribed medicines regularly, including those for seizures, and undergoing physical and neurological assessments before foreign travel or rigorous tours.“From the materials available at this stage, prima facie, it appears that several of these protocols were violated,” the court observed. It pointed to the post-mortem and forensic reports indicating alcohol consumption, Zubeen’s decision to swim in the sea, and that he “perhaps forgot to take his medicines for seizures on the fateful day of Sept 19, 2025.”“The final determination of any such violation of the protocols; whether any or more of the charged accused persons were responsible for the same; more importantly, whether the same would invite criminal liability — would be a matter of adjudication during the trial,” the court said.Justice Das concluded his order granting bail to Amritprava with the observation, “…and the melodies etched into the soul of people will live forever.”
