Following the recent Special Investigation Team (SIT) raid on his Guwahati residence, Siddhartha Sharma, the manager of the late Zubeen Garg, has broken his silence, urging the public to allow the investigation to proceed without prejudice. The raid, conducted on Thursday, September 25, 2025, is part of an ongoing probe into the "suspicious" and "tragic" death of the singer in Singapore on September 19, 2025.
Sharma's residence in Guwahati's Datalpara area was searched by CID officials, who remained outside the three-story building for approximately two hours before initiating the raid. The search, conducted in the presence of a magistrate, targeted Sharma's 3BHK flat on the third floor, where he has resided with his family since 2019. According to local residents, Sharma's family members have not been seen since Garg's death. The apartment was locked, and officials had to break the lock to conduct the search. Several items, including a pendrive, a hard disc, and a computer CPU, were seized from the premises.
The raid sparked protests outside Sharma's residence, with crowds demanding his arrest. Tensions flared, and police resorted to baton-charging the protestors after some allegedly threw stones at police vehicles.
In a statement released on Friday, Sharma addressed several points, including Garg's music rights, earnings, and royalties, in an attempt to clarify misconceptions and deny allegations of exploitation. He explained that the majority of Garg's extensive body of work, comprising over 38,000 songs, is legally owned by various music companies and production houses. Sharma stated that Garg typically received one-time payments for these recordings, even his most popular tracks, and "often lamented how he was shortchanged, with producers and labels earning crores while he received only modest payments". Sharma also mentioned that in 2021, Garg established Zubeen Garg Music LLP to build ownership over some of his later works.
Sharma also clarified that royalties credited through the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) for Garg's work as a composer and lyricist were always directly deposited into the singer's personal account and will now legally pass to his wife, Garima Garg. He firmly denied allegations of exploiting Garg's trust or finances, calling the rumors "baseless and deeply hurtful" and affirmed his cooperation with the SIT.
Sharma concluded his statement by requesting restraint from the public and urging them not to be swayed by misinformation. "This is a request from one human being to another. Let the investigation proceed without fear or prejudice. We owe it to Zubeen da's memory to pursue truth with dignity," he stated.
The Assam government has formed a 10-member SIT, headed by Special DGP MP Gupta, to investigate the circumstances surrounding Garg's death. Initial reports suggested that Garg died during a scuba diving incident; however, his wife clarified that he suffered a seizure while swimming at Lazarus Island. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that the case will be transferred to the CBI if the SIT investigation is deemed unsatisfactory. The investigation is examining whether negligence or other lapses contributed to the singer's death. Authorities in Singapore stated that the singer died of drowning.
