Zubeen Garg death case: Musician Shakharjyoti Goswami, singer Amritprabha Mahanta arrested; total arrests reach 4
PTC Web Desk: In a major development in the investigation into the death of popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, two more persons, musician Shakharjyoti Goswami and singer Amritprabha Mahanta , were arrested on Thursday, the police has confirmed. Both were reportedly present at the scene when the incident occurred and were initially summoned for questioning. “We have found some evidence against them. To proceed with further inquiry, their arrest became necessary,” a police officer stated.
With their arrest, the total number of people taken into custody in the case has risen to four. On Wednesday, Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and Northeast India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta were arrested and booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.
Special DGP of Assam Police’s CID Munna Prasad Gupta, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT), revealed that investigators have also invoked Section 103 of the BNS, which deals with murder and carries the maximum punishment of death or life imprisonment along with a fine.
Mahanta, a key figure in the festival’s organisation, is the younger brother of former Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, currently serving as the Chief Information Commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission. Another elder brother, Nani Gopal Mahanta, earlier served as Education Advisor to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma before becoming Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University.
Over 60 FIRs have been lodged across Assam against Mahanta and nearly 10 others, including Zubeen Garg’s manager. The FIRs stem from the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, which Garg had travelled to attend before his untimely death.
Garg died under mysterious circumstances on September 19 in Singapore while swimming in the sea. Following his demise, a nine-member SIT was constituted by Assam Police to investigate the matter.
Speaking to reporters, Gupta said the autopsy conducted in Singapore would be officially handed over to Garg’s family once formalities were completed. “As per protocol, the report from Singaporean authorities will go directly to the family. They have already contacted them and will soon share the findings,” he said.
A second post-mortem conducted at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital is awaiting results from the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFL), Delhi, where viscera samples were sent for detailed analysis. “Once the viscera report is received, the GMCH post-mortem report will also be ready,” Gupta added.
He further noted that an SIT team is preparing to travel to Singapore to collect evidence and details directly related to the case, pending necessary approvals from authorities there.
- With inputs from agencies
