GUWAHATI: Sandipan Garg, an Assam Police Service officer and cousin of Zubeen Garg, was arrested by the Assam's Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with Garg's passing away.
Sandipan deposed before investigators at the CID office, Assam every day over the last five days. He was arrested shortly after he arrived there on Wednesday at around 10:30 am.
Later, he was produced before the court of Kamrup chief judicial magistrate and was sent to seven-day police remand.
Sandipan, who is a deputy superintendent of police, was on the yacht when Garg died under mysterious circumstances while swimming at a sea in Singapore on September 19. This was Sandipan’s first abroad visit.
So far, five persons have been arrested.
They were 4th North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amrit Prabha Mahanta. Garg had travelled to Singapore to attend the festival.
Meanwhile, Rupkamal Kalita, an NRI and member of the Assam Association, Singapore, who was also in the yacht, deposed before the CID for the second straight day on Wednesday. He was grilled for several hours both the days.
Seven other Singapore-based Assamese witnesses have not yet responded to the CID’s summons.
Singer, composer and music director Manash Robin on Wednesday voluntarily appeared before the CID and submitted a piece of evidence.
“I submitted evidence to the CID, hoping that it will aid the ongoing investigation,” Robin told the media but did not disclose the evidence stating that it might hamper the probe.
"We want to know if Zubeen’s death was accidental or if he was murdered as part of a conspiracy. We need the answer. We will fight till the end. We should win,” the musician said and urged people not to do politics over Garg’s death.
On the other hand, the Assam Police suspended two personal security officers of Garg after detecting financial transactions worth Rs 1.1 crore in their bank accounts.
The duo – Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya – failed to provide any satisfactory explanation to their interrogators on the source of the money.
They were attached to Garg about a decade ago after the singer had received a death threat from the insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam.