GUWAHATI– A Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Assam is scheduled to meet with Singapore Police officials on Tuesday as part of its probe into the death of celebrated Assamese singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg, who died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore last month.
Garg passed away on September 19 while aboard a yacht with members of the Assam Association in Singapore, including his manager Siddharth Sharma, bandmates Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta, and his cousin Sandipan Garg. All four, along with festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the singer’s death.
CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta and SP-rank officer Tarun Goel, who are part of the SIT, arrived in Singapore on Monday to coordinate with local authorities. The team is expected to request CCTV footage from the hotel where Garg stayed and other evidence detailing his final movements.
Back in Assam, tensions have been running high since the arrests. Violent protests erupted last week outside Baksa District Jail, where the five accused are being held. Demonstrators demanded that festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma be presented before the public.
The protest turned violent as mobs threw stones, injuring a female police officer and damaging several police vehicles. Security personnel used batons to disperse the crowd, and several individuals were detained for unlawful assembly.
In response, District Magistrate Gautam Das imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), banning public gatherings, rallies, or demonstrations within a 500-meter radius of the Baksa jail. The order also prohibited the carrying of weapons or inflammable materials, including stones and firecrackers, citing fears of a further breach of peace and public order.
The directive warned that any violations would invite strict legal action. The investigation into Garg’s death continues, with the SIT’s meeting in Singapore expected to play a key role in uncovering the circumstances surrounding the tragic loss of one of Assam’s most beloved artists. (Source: IANS)
