Zubeen Garg's manager, festival organiser slapped with murder charges: Report

Mahanta and Sharma were arrested from the Delhi airport and Gurgaon, respectively, by the Assam Police.

A day after late singer Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma and North East India Festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta were arrested and brought to Guwahati, the Assam Police Thursday added the murder charge to the CID case in connection with the probe into Garg’s death, news agency PTI reported quoting a senior police officer.

On October 1, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the circumstances surrounding the death of cultural icon, took prime accused Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma into 14-day custody. The custody was granted by the Magistrate after the accused, event organiser Mahanta and Garg’s long-time manager Sharma, were brought to his residence in Geetanagar, as courts remained closed due to Mahanabami.

Both are currently being interrogated at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office in Ulubari. “The investigation will proceed strictly as per the law,” SIT chief M.P. Gupta told the press. He added that Mahanta was arrested at Delhi airport upon his arrival from Singapore after a lookout circular was issued against him. Both are currently being interrogated at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office in Ulubari.

“The investigation will proceed strictly as per the law,” SIT chief M.P. Gupta told the press. He added that Mahanta was arrested at Delhi airport upon his arrival from Singapore after a lookout circular was issued against him.

Gupta, Special DGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Assam Police, told reporters that interrogation of the two accused was underway after a court remanded them to 14 days in police custody. “The investigation is going on, and I cannot share much detail. We have now added Section 103 of the BNS in the FIR,” he said.

Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertains to the punishment for murder. It mandates that whoever commits murder shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, along with a fine.

Zubeen Garg, 52, died on September 19 in Singapore during a yacht outing linked to the North East India Festival. His death certificate cited drowning. The case has sparked widespread public anger in Assam with over 60 FIRs lodged across the state. Garima Garg, Zubeen's wife, who attended the 13-thday rituals in Jorhat, said she had faith in the investigation and hoped the truth about his last moments would be revealed soon.