The investigation into the mysterious death of singer Zubeen Garg took a new turn on Thursday with the arrest of co-musician Shakharjyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprabha Mahanta, Assam Police confirmed.
According to officials, both Goswami and Mahanta were at the spot when the incident occurred and were summoned for questioning earlier in the day. Following interrogation, they were taken into custody. “We have found some evidence against them. So, to enquire further, their arrest was necessary,” an officer said.
Four Arrests So Far
With the latest arrests, the number of people taken into custody in connection with Garg’s death has risen to four. On Wednesday, police had already arrested Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta.
Both Sharma and Mahanta were booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence. Authorities later invoked Section 103 of the BNS, which deals with the punishment for murder and carries a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment along with a fine.
CID Intensifies Investigation
Special DGP of Assam Police’s CID, Munna Prasad Gupta, told reporters that interrogation of Mahanta and Sharma is ongoing after a court granted 14-day police custody. While refraining from disclosing details, Gupta confirmed that investigators are pursuing multiple angles.
Gupta said the autopsy conducted in Singapore, where Garg died, will be handed over directly to the singer’s family once procedural formalities are completed. “The Singaporean authorities also did their investigation. The autopsy report from them will be directly shared with the family as per protocol,” he noted.
Regarding the second post-mortem carried out at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Gupta explained that the final report is pending results from the Central Forensic Laboratory in Delhi, where viscera samples were sent for examination. “Once the viscera report is received, I guess the post-mortem report… will be ready and available to us,” he said.
Zubeen Garg’s Death In Singapore
The celebrated Assamese singer died on September 19 under unexplained circumstances while swimming in the sea off Singapore. He had travelled to attend the 4th edition of the Northeast India Festival, organised by Shyamkanu Mahanta and his company.
Following his death, outrage spread across Assam, with more than 60 FIRs filed statewide against Mahanta and nearly 10 others, including Garg’s manager Sharma. Allegations of negligence surrounding the event prompted police to launch a full-fledged probe.
Shyamkanu Mahanta’s arrest has drawn widespread attention given his family’s prominent stature. His elder brother Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta is a former Assam DGP and currently Chief Information Commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission. Another brother, Nani Gopal Mahanta, formerly served as the state government’s Education Advisor before being appointed Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University.
The Assam Police formed a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Special DGP Gupta to ensure a thorough probe in Garg’s death. The team is also preparing to visit Singapore to collect evidence and coordinate with authorities. “Our team is ready to go… we have sent the request through the proper channel and it will take some time. Once they inform us, our team will go,” Gupta said.
The Indian government has already invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with Singapore, seeking official cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
(With inputs from news agency PTI.)
