Assam Police Investigates Circumstances Surrounding Zubeen Garg's Death

Investigation Launched into Zubeen Garg's Passing

On Thursday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Assam Police executed searches at the residences of Siddhartha Sharma, the manager of the late singer Zubeen Garg, and Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organizer of the Northeast India Festival.

Zubeen Garg, a beloved Assamese artist, passed away on September 19 in Singapore while on a yacht trip, just a day before he was scheduled to perform at the festival organized by Mahanta.

A death certificate issued by authorities in Singapore on September 20 indicated that Garg's death was due to drowning. He was cremated with full state honors near Guwahati, accompanied by a 21-gun salute.

Following his death, over 50 first information reports were lodged against both Sharma and Mahanta.

The SIT, led by Special Director General of Police MP Gupta, was established to probe the circumstances surrounding Garg's demise.

On the same day, demonstrators threw stones at police vehicles outside Sharma's residence, prompting law enforcement to respond with a lathi-charge.

The SIT also detained musician Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, who was present during the yacht trip, for questioning, although the specific allegations against him remain unclear.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) would interrogate Mahanta and others who were with Garg in Singapore.

Sarma emphasized the commitment to uncovering the truth, stating, “If the Assam CID is unable to unearth all the facts, we will approach the Central Bureau of Investigation.”

He urged the public to refrain from spreading rumors regarding Garg's death and requested that anyone with information contact the CID.

On Wednesday, Sarma declared that Mahanta and any associated organizations would be barred from hosting events in the state.

Mahanta and his team previously claimed on social media that they had no prior knowledge of Garg's yacht trip, explaining that Garg had expressed a desire to visit Singapore, which led to arrangements for his hotel stay.

Born in 1972 in Meghalaya, Zubeen Garg was a versatile artist who worked across Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi film and music industries, singing in over 40 languages and dialects. His song Ya Ali from the Hindi film Gangster in 2006 catapulted him to national fame, alongside other notable tracks like Subah Subah and Kya Raaz Hai.