Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, addressing the public through a Facebook Live session, revealed that lookout notices have been issued against North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and late singer Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma in connection with the singer’s untimely death. Sarma stated that both Mahanta and Sharma have been directed to appear before the investigation team in Guwahati on October 6 to record their statements. He clarified that given the ongoing Durga Puja festivities, the authorities did not want to summon them immediately, but after Dashami, their presence is mandatory. The chief minister further added that if either of them does not wish to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), they are free to approach the court for legal recourse.
The state government has already constituted a ten-member SIT headed by Special DGP M.P. Gupta, comprising officers from the CID, to investigate the circumstances surrounding Zubeen Garg’s death. The probe was initiated not only due to widespread public demand but also because of allegations of foul play and the need to ensure complete transparency. Initial reports from Singapore indicated that the singer had died in a scuba diving incident. However, this was strongly refuted by his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, who maintained that her husband had actually suffered a seizure while swimming at Singapore’s Lazarus Island, making it unrelated to scuba diving.
Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most iconic and beloved singers, tragically passed away on September 19, reportedly due to drowning while in Singapore for a scheduled performance at the North East India Festival organised by Mahanta. His sudden death has not only caused widespread grief but has also sparked questions, protests, and suspicions among the public in Assam. To unravel the truth, investigators recently conducted raids at Siddharth Sharma’s residence in Guwahati, seizing several important documents. The authorities are meticulously piecing together the sequence of events leading to Garg’s death and closely examining the roles of those who were with him during the trip.
During his address, CM Sarma disclosed that Mahanta’s bank accounts and credit cards have been frozen as part of the ongoing probe, ensuring that he cannot stay away indefinitely. He also mentioned that the government is currently awaiting the official autopsy report from Singapore. In addition, a second post-mortem was performed at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, and the findings are now ready. To maintain public confidence in the process, Sarma has written to the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, requesting the formation of a judicial commission led by a sitting judge to oversee the investigation.
Reassuring the people of Assam, Sarma asserted that if at any point it appears that the state police are unable to secure justice, the case would be promptly handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He stated that he had already discussed the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, assuring him that the case would be transferred to the CBI if justice could not be achieved at the state level. Appealing to the people to maintain calm, Sarma urged them not to politicize the tragedy or exploit the singer’s death for anti-government agendas, warning against turning Assam into a politically unstable situation like that of Nepal.
