Zubeen Garg death: Assam Police file murder charges against singer's manager and festival organiser
Assam Police charged Zubeen Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta in connection to the singer's death in Singapore. Both were arrested and are under police custody.
The Assam Police filed murder charges against Zubeen Garg's manager, Siddharth Sharma, and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, related to the singer's death in Singapore last month, PTI reported, citing a senior officer.
The two individuals were arrested in Delhi on Wednesday and taken to Guwahati. Munna Prasad Gupta, the Special DGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police, informed reporters that their interrogation is ongoing, following a court order to hold them in police custody for 14 days.
“The investigation is going on, and I cannot share much detail. We have added Section 103 of the BNS in the FIR now,” PTI quoted Gupta.
Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertains to the penalties for murder.
On Wednesday, the police said that Sharma and Mahanta faced charges under various sections of the BNS, including accusations of not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, causing death through other means, and negligence.
Mahanta is the younger brother of Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, the former DGP who now serves as the chief information commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission.
His elder brother is Nani Gopal Mahanta, who was the education advisor to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma before he became the vice chancellor of Gauhati University.
The CID is investigating Garg's death as over 60 FIRs have been filed nationwide against Mahanta and about 10 others, including the singer's manager.
Mahanta was the chief organiser of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, where the singer had gone to perform.
Gupta stated that the autopsy report from Singapore will be given to Garg's family once all formalities are finished.
“The Singaporean authorities also did their investigation. The autopsy report from them will be directly shared with the family as per protocol. As per our information, they have already contacted Garg's family and will share the report soon,” the report quoted Gupta.
The DGP detailed the second post-mortem examination carried out in Guwahati and said the authority is waiting for the report on the viscera sample sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFL) in Delhi.
“Once the viscera report is received, I guess the post-mortem report by the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital will be ready and available to us,” Gupta said.
Garg allegedly died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea. He travelled to Singapore to participate in the 4th NorthEast India Festival, organised by Mahanta and his company.
The Assam Police established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate Garg's sudden death Singapore.
Gupta, who is leading the SIT, stated that a team will travel to Singapore to gather evidence and other case details once it receives approval from the authorities country.
"Our team is ready to go to Singapore. There are some formalities to be done. We have sent the request through the proper channel, and it will take some time. Once they inform us, our team will go," he said.
The central government has activated the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with Singapore to seek cooperation in investigating the singer's death in Singapore.
(With inputs from agencies.)