Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state government would bring before the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court a threat by a group to gherao his residence in connection with the Zubeen Garg death case.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma described the threat as a serious matter, saying it posed a danger to his family and could amount to a direct attempt to murder.

The development comes ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on November 30 of the bail petitions filed by Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma, the two prime accused in the case.

Why Himanta Sarma plans to approach the courts

Sarma said he had instructed the state government’s legal department to bring the matter to the notice of both the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court.

The Chief Minister objected to the group threatening to target his residence rather than holding a protest near the Chief Minister’s Office.

He said those questioning the judicial process should approach the Supreme Court or the high court instead of targeting him. Sarma also maintained that the courts should be allowed to carry out their work.

According to him, attempts to question the judicial process in this manner could obstruct the path of justice.

What the group said about the bail pleas

The Zubeen Garg Nyay Samiti, led by Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, had announced on Thursday that it would gherao the Chief Minister’s residence under certain circumstances.

The group said it would carry out the protest if Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma were granted bail or if the Assam government failed to mount an effective legal opposition to their bail pleas.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the bail petitions of the two accused on November 30.

Bail granted to two accused in the case

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

The high court has also granted bail to Sandipan Garg in the case.

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

Responding to questions over the development, Sarma said the witnesses should be questioned about the discrepancy rather than him.

What happened to Zubeen Garg?

Singer Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea.

Police in Singapore had said that no foul play was involved in his death. Garg had travelled to Singapore to attend the fourth edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his criticism of the Centre over the E20 petrol issue, alleging that consumers could be paying for petrol while receiving fuel containing more ethanol than the prescribed 20 per cent level.

In a post on X on Saturday, Mr Gandhi referred to the issue as “petrol chori” and cited test results from petrol samples collected by the Karnataka government.

He said the government maintains that petrol contains 20 per cent ethanol, but alleged that testing of samples from seven Karnataka districts showed higher levels in several cases. 

Rahul Gandhi cites Karnataka petrol test results

According to the figures cited by Mr Gandhi, 11 of 14 samples tested contained more than 20 per cent ethanol. He highlighted results of 31.2 per cent for an IOCL sample and 30.5 per cent for an HPCL sample.

He also named IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara and Shell while alleging that samples from both government-owned and private companies exceeded the 20 per cent level. These are allegations based on the tests cited by Gandhi and the Karnataka government, rather than an independently established finding covering all petrol sold by these companies. 

The samples were reportedly collected from areas including Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru and tested at the Shriram Research Institute in Bengaluru. 

What Rahul Gandhi said about ‘petrol chori’

Mr Gandhi used the phrase “E20 turned into 420” in his post, linking the reference to Section 420 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, which dealt with cheating.

He questioned the Centre over the actual ethanol content of petrol and asked when action would be taken against companies that, according to the allegations, supplied fuel containing more than 20 per cent ethanol.

He also argued that excessive ethanol blending could affect vehicle performance, including mileage and maintenance costs, and questioned why fuel stations do not disclose the actual ethanol content of the petrol being sold. 

Oil companies dispute Karnataka findings

The three state-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation — have disputed the Karnataka government’s findings.

The companies said the reported results were not supported by testing carried out according to the prescribed statutory and technical procedures. They maintained that E20 petrol supplied through their retail networks conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards’ IS 17021 specifications, which prescribe an ethanol range of 19-21 per cent.

The companies have also questioned aspects of the sampling and testing process and sought access to the relevant samples and documentation for independent testing.

Rahul Gandhi reiterates debate challenge

Mr Gandhi also reiterated his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate, saying the ethanol-blending issue could be included along with the other issues he has been raising.

His latest remarks come amid a political exchange over the Karnataka government’s allegations concerning ethanol levels in petrol and the oil companies’ rejection of those findings.

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar was discharged from Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday after undergoing treatment for a chest and respiratory infection. The 85-year-old leader returned to his residence following a three-day stay at the hospital.

Pawar had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital earlier this week after being discharged from Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic. He was initially admitted to the Pune facility on November 2 and discharged on November 4, following which he was shifted to Mumbai for further medical evaluation and treatment.

His hospitalisation had drawn visits from several political leaders and prominent personalities, including Congress leaders Sushilkumar Shinde and Balasaheb Thorat, NCP leader Dilip Walse-Patil, industrialist Gautam Adani and NCP leader Praful Patel.

Sharad Pawar’s hospitalisation and discharge

Pawar was receiving treatment for a chest and respiratory infection during his stay at Breach Candy Hospital. His discharge on Saturday followed the improvement in his health.

The veteran politician had initially complained of persistent cough and chest discomfort before being admitted to Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune. He was subsequently shifted to Mumbai for additional medical evaluation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also spoken to Pawar over the phone to enquire about his health and advised him to take adequate rest.

NCP merger speculation gains momentum

Pawar’s discharge comes at a time when political discussions surrounding a possible merger between the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) have gained attention.

The political buzz intensified following a meeting between senior NCP leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The absence of NCP chief Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth Pawar from the meeting also drew attention amid reports of internal differences within the party.

NCP leader Praful Patel had also visited Sharad Pawar at Breach Candy Hospital. However, Patel had rejected speculation that their meeting involved political discussions, saying that he regularly met Pawar and Supriya Sule because of their family ties.

The possibility of bringing the two NCP factions together has therefore remained a subject of political discussion, although no confirmed merger announcement has been made.