The investigation into the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg has taken a dramatic turn, with eyewitness testimonies suggesting a deliberate attempt to portray his death as accidental.
Garg, 52, died on September 19 while in Singapore for the North East India Festival. Initial reports indicated that he drowned near Lazarus Island. However, recent revelations have cast doubt on the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to Sekhar Jyoti Goswami, a member of Garg’s band who was present on the yacht during the incident, a conspiracy was formulated to depict the singer’s death as accidental. Goswami alleges that Garg’s manager, Siddharth Sharma, exhibited suspicious behaviour, including forcibly taking control of the yacht from its sailor, causing it to wobble dangerously. Additionally, Sharma allegedly instructed others not to arrange drinks, claiming he alone would provide them.
Goswami further claims that when Garg was gasping for breath and nearly drowning, Sharma was heard shouting, “Jabo de, jabo de” (let him go, let him go). He asserts that Garg, an expert swimmer, could not have died from drowning. Goswami alleges that Sharma and North East India Festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta poisoned Garg and deliberately chose Singapore as the venue to conceal their actions. He also states that Sharma instructed him not to share videos of Garg on the yacht with anyone.
In the critical moments before Garg’s death, Goswami reports that when the singer was frothing at the mouth and nose, Sharma dismissed it as acid reflux and assured others there was nothing to worry about. Instead of seeking medical assistance, Sharma allegedly facilitated Garg’s early demise.
Following these revelations, Assam Police arrested Sharma and Mahanta, along with two other band members, Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup (Metro) district remanded Sharma and Mahanta to 14 days of police custody. The police have added a murder charge under Section 103 of the BNS Act to the case.
The investigation continues as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the events leading to Zubeen Garg’s untimely death.
