Murder Charges Filed Against Manager and Festival Organizer in Zubeen Garg Death Investigation

Assam singer Zubeen Garg was a musical icon (File).

Assam Police filed murder charges on Thursday against Zubeen Garg's manager, Siddharth Sharma, in connection with the renowned singer's death on September 19 in Singapore. The charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.

North East India Festival manager Shyamkanu Mahanta also faces similar charges in the case.

Both Sharma and Mahanta were arrested on Wednesday - Sharma from a Gurugram apartment and Mahanta at Delhi airport upon returning from Singapore. The suspects were subsequently transported to Guwahati for interrogation.

Munna Gupta, a senior Criminal Investigation Department officer from Assam, confirmed that questioning of both suspects commenced after a local court remanded them to 14 days in police custody. "The investigation is ongoing and I cannot disclose details at this moment, but we have added charges under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita," Gupta stated.

Section 103 of the BNS specifically addresses punishment for murder.

The Assam government established a 10-member Special Investigation Team led by Special Director-General Gupta to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 52-year-old singer's death. Garg had gone swimming off Singapore's coast when the incident occurred.

He was discovered dead, floating face-down in the water.

Singapore authorities have provided an autopsy report to the Indian High Commission, with results from a second examination still pending. The SIT is working to establish a timeline of Garg's final 48 hours, an effort that gained significance after pharmaceutical drugs were discovered in his bag.

Notably, the bag was found in Sharma's possession.

The recovered drugs have been sent for laboratory analysis.

Investigators have also questioned Garg's former bandmate Sekhar Jyoti Goswami, along with fellow singer Amritprava Mahanta and the deceased's cousin, Sandipan Garg.

When informed about the arrests, Garima Garg, the singer's wife, told NDTV, "the law will take its own course." She added, "We need to determine exactly what happened. They should be questioned. The investigation is ongoing, and legal procedures will be followed. We should all cooperate."

The state government has announced plans to construct a second memorial in Jorhat to permanently honor the singer's contributions to music and cinema.

Shyamkanu Mahanta is the younger brother of former DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, currently serving as Chief Information Commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission.

His older brother, Nani Gopal Mahanta, previously served as Education Advisor to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma before becoming Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University.