Shekhar Jyoti Goswami: Musician Detained in Connection with Zubeen Garg's Singapore Death Investigation

Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, a drummer and long-time collaborator with Zubeen Garg, was taken into police custody on Thursday in relation to the investigation into the singer's death.

Authorities detained Goswami for questioning after Zubeen Garg, aged 52, tragically passed away during a swimming incident in Singapore on September 19. Garg had traveled there to participate in the Northeast India Festival.

Reports indicate Goswami was present on the same yacht when the incident occurred. His detention coincided with raids conducted by Assam Police's Special Investigating Team (SIT) at the homes of festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta and Zubeen's manager Siddhartha Sharma.

Beyond his role as a drummer in Zubeen Garg's musical ensemble, Goswami's Instagram profile identifies him as a sound engineer, music producer, and computer hardware engineer.

Goswami witnessed Garg's final moments in Singapore. After returning to India, he provided statements to media outlets describing the tragic event. According to his account, he noticed Garg floating face-down after the singer went swimming. Upon approaching and turning him over, Goswami observed "white liquid coming from his mouth and nose." He reported holding Garg's head up and noting that "if I moved Zubeen's head to right, it would droop right, if he moved it left, it would droop left," before calling for assistance.

The Assam government established a 10-member SIT headed by CID special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta to investigate the circumstances surrounding Garg's death. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that should the SIT investigation prove "unsatisfactory," his government will request a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry.

The Chief Minister confirmed that all individuals who accompanied Zubeen Garg, including Singapore's Assam Association members and Northeast India Festival organizers, will undergo questioning by the SIT.

Medical examinations in Singapore determined drowning as the cause of death. A second autopsy was performed at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on September 23, with results still pending.

Zubeen Garg received full state honors during his cremation ceremony on Tuesday in Assam's Sonapur, including a 21-gun salute. The service saw attendance from Chief Minister Sarma, MP Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, other government officials, and numerous artists who joined thousands of fans in singing Garg's beloved song Mayabini as a final tribute.