GUWAHATI — Nearly 50 days after the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg, his former manager, Tarsame Mittal, appeared before a Special Investigation Team in Guwahati on Friday to provide a statement as part of the ongoing probe.
The SIT, constituted by the Assam CID, is examining the circumstances leading to Garg’s sudden death in Singapore on September 19, where he had traveled as a brand ambassador for the North East India Festival. A Singapore-issued death certificate listed drowning as the cause of death.
Investigators have been questioning several individuals connected to the singer’s professional operations, amid reports of possible financial and managerial irregularities that emerged after his passing. Mittal had managed Garg’s career for an extended period before being replaced by Siddharth Sharma, who is currently in judicial custody.
According to investigators, Sharma was introduced into Garg’s management circle on the basis of a recommendation by Mittal. The two reportedly shared close professional ties, a link the SIT believes may help clarify the nature of financial dealings now under scrutiny.
On September 25, the Assam government formed the SIT to conduct a comprehensive probe. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has since said the case will be treated as a murder investigation rather than a case of accidental death. He has set December 8 as the deadline for the SIT to submit its charge sheet, noting that charges can only proceed after approval from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs due to the incident occurring abroad.
The investigation is currently focused on both the events leading up to Garg’s death and management decisions surrounding his professional affairs. Mittal’s testimony is considered a significant step in determining whether negligence, conspiracy, or other criminal factors may have been involved. (Source: IANS)
