The Assam government had constituted a 10-member SIT, led by Special DGP M.P. Gupta, to investigate the Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore due to drowning in the sea on September 19. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Assam police arrested cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s manager and the organiser of an event in Singapore from the National Capital Region and brought them to Guwahati on Wednesday (October 1, 2025) morning. Both have been remanded to 14 days’ police custody by the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate.
Siddharth Sharma, the manager, was arrested in Gurugram around 1.30 a.m. while Shyamkanu Mahanta, who organised the 4th North East India Festival where the late singer-composer was scheduled to perform, was arrested in New Delhi after arriving from Singapore around Tuesday (September 30) midnight.
The two were subsequently flown to Guwahati and taken to the residence of the Kamrup (Metro) chief judicial magistrate, as the courts are closed due to Durga Puja holiday in Assam. The formalities were carried out amid heavy security arrangements.
More than 55 first information reports (FIRs) were filed against the two and a few others in connection with Garg’s death on September 19. A death certificate issued by the Singapore authorities said he died by drowning.
One of these FIRs was lodged by the members of the singer-composer’s family.
The 52-year-old Garg had travelled to Singapore to take part in the North East India Festival, but died after going on a yacht trip with some members of his team and some Assamese NRIs in the island country.
Viral videos from the yacht trip showed him swimming in the sea moments before his death.
The Assam police had issued lookout notices against Mr Mahanta and Mr Sharma on September 27. The State government had earlier formed a nine-member Special Investigation Team to aid Assam’s Criminal Investigation Department in the probe and given time till October 6 to the two accused to surrender.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Mr Mahanta’s bank accounts have been frozen and a separate probe has been launched against his alleged involvement in organised financial crimes.
The arrests followed intense pressure on the Assam government for action in the case. Garg’s fans had criticised the government for failing to arrest the duo more than a week after his death.
Published – October 01, 2025 09:26 am IST
