In a major development in the ongoing investigation into the death of Indian singer Zubeen Garg, his manager Siddhartha Sharma and festival chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta have been arrested from New Delhi on Wednesday morning.
The arrests come nearly two weeks after Garg reportedly drowned in the sea off Singapore on September 19.
Both Sharma and Mahanta have been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence. Following their arrest, they were flown to Guwahati and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court.
Indian religious festivities and a concurrent court closure forced the hearing to take place at the residence of the judge, who remanded the duo into 14 days’ police custody.
Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the high-profile case, confirmed the arrests and said the investigation would proceed “in accordance with the law.”
The police have also seized both men’s mobile phones and recovered Zubeen Garg’s phone, which could be critical in uncovering the circumstances surrounding his death.
Zubeen’s wife Garima Saikia Garg expressed satisfaction over the progress. Speaking to reporters, she said, “We are all waiting to know what happened to him in his final moments. I have full faith in the investigating team and hope we will soon have answers.”
The Assam government had earlier constituted a 10-member SIT to delve into the circumstances leading to the singer’s untimely death. Garg, 52, was a cultural icon in the northeastern region and had been in Singapore to perform at a festival organised by Mahanta’s team.
With both prime suspects now in custody, the investigation is expected to gain momentum in the coming days.
The singer was known for his famous Bollywood song Ya Ali from the film Gangster.