In connection to the death of Zubeen Garg, authorities have arrested his manager, Siddhartha Sharma, and festival organizer, Shyamkanu Mahanta. The arrests took place in Delhi, and the two are being transported to Guwahati.
Shyamkanu Mahanta, the chief organizer of the North East India Festival (NEIF), was apprehended upon his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi from Singapore. Siddhartha Sharma, Zubeen Garg's manager, was arrested from an apartment in Gurugram. A senior police official confirmed that both were brought to Guwahati early Wednesday morning.
The Assam government has formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Special DGP M P Gupta, to investigate the circumstances surrounding Garg's death in Singapore, which occurred on September 19. The singer reportedly drowned in the sea. The SIT had issued notices to several individuals, including Mahanta, Sharma, members of the Singapore Assam Association, and others who attended the festival in Singapore, requesting them to provide statements.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had previously issued an ultimatum to Garg's manager and the festival organizer, requiring them to appear before the CID by October 6. He stated that authorities didn't want them to come during Durga Puja, but they had to come after Dashami. Sarma also mentioned the possibility of a "lookout notice" through Interpol if they failed to cooperate.
Following Garg's death, some fans reportedly attacked Sharma's house in Guwahati and clashed with police. Another musician, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, who accompanied Garg on the Singapore trip, was also detained. Police had been searching for Mahanta and Sharma and had raided their homes the previous week.
Zubeen Garg, a prominent figure in Assamese music and cinema, passed away on September 19 in Singapore. While initial reports suggested a scuba diving incident, his wife, Garima Saikia, dismissed those claims, stating that he suffered a seizure while swimming. Singapore authorities listed drowning as the cause of death in their autopsy. However, a second post-mortem examination was conducted in Assam following widespread protests and allegations of foul play. The Union government has invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with Singapore to assist in the investigation.
