GUWAHATI: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the death of Assam’s music legend Zubeen Garg has detained his long-time bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and raided the homes of the 4th Northeast India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and the singer’s manager Siddharth Sarma.
A large crowd attempted to storm Sarma’s residence, suspecting he was inside, but the police restored order using force. Reports indicate a crowd remained at the site.
The SIT seized documents, including a laptop, from Sarma’s home.
The state government formed the nine-member SIT, headed by CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta, to investigate the death. Garg died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in Singapore on 19 September. He had travelled there to participate in the festival.
Earlier, 54 FIRs were filed across Assam against Mahanta, Sarma, and others, with the two currently absconding.
Amid public outrage, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged people to trust the government, assuring that if the SIT’s probe proves unsatisfactory, the investigation will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“As rumours circulate, I request those who love Zubeen not to be misled by rumours nor to mislead others. Have faith in the government. The SIT will conduct a proper investigation, and if it fails, we will transfer the case to the CBI,” Sarma said.
He added the government was committed to uncovering the truth and appealed for cooperation with the SIT.
“We must wait for the second post-mortem, viscera reports, and for those from Assam who were in Singapore to return. If anyone demands instant justice, the case will fail in court,” Sarma said, adding, “We are all Zubeen fans.”
He emphasised that the SIT must carry out the investigation in a way that satisfies the court.
“If Shyamkanu Mahanta surrenders, we will call and interrogate him. The investigation will proceed step by step, following due legal process,” he said.
The second post-mortem on Garg’s body was conducted at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital in the presence of AIIMS doctors on Tuesday morning. The death certificate issued after the first autopsy in Singapore cited drowning as the cause of death.
