Protests outside Baksa District Jail escalated into violent clashes on Wednesday, October 15, after five individuals accused in the Zubeen Garg death case were sent to judicial custody. Demonstrators attacked the convoy of the accused, set vehicles – including police and media vehicles – on fire, and hurled stones and shoes at law enforcement personnel.
The accused sent to judicial custody include Shyamkanu Mahanta, main event organizer; Siddharth Sharma, Zubeen Garg’s manager; his cousin Sandipan Garg (suspended APS officer); and two personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya. The unrest prompted authorities to temporarily suspend telecom services in the district.
To curb further violence, the District Magistrate of Baksa imposed a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), restricting public gatherings and movement near the jail in Nikashi.
The clashes left several police and fire service personnel injured, including Baksa Deputy Superintendent of Police Chakradhar Das, fire personnel Geetarth Goswami, and Assam Police 24th Battalion personnel Nripen Das, Arup Roy, Ridip Talukdar, Mrinal Das, Ganesh Sharma, and Madan Chandra Kalita (O/C of Barama Police Station).
Several journalists covering the protests were also hurt, including Dhrubjyoti Borah (ND24), Nakool Talukdar (Pratidin Time), Jintumoni Das (Pratham Khabar), Banjit Kalita, Apoorva Sharma (NK TV), Pradip Das, Abhijit Talukdar (DY 365), Saurabh De (Prag News), Akshendra Deka (Pratibimb Live), Birinchi Kumar Deka (News18), and Dilip Kumar Baro (ETV Bharat).
Civilians were not spared. Deepak Medhi, Harihar Das, and a child, Bidyut Kalita, sustained serious injuries from police firing during the chaos.
Authorities have urged the public to remain calm, exercise restraint, and cooperate with law enforcement, while additional security personnel have been deployed around the jail and other sensitive areas to prevent further escalation.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to the people to have faith in the judicial system. Condemning the violence as “unfortunate and saddening,” he urged citizens to rely on the judicial process.
Sarma added, “Certain groups have created an unhealthy environment across Assam, and such actions will only set our state back. It is painful to see that some individuals, driven by personal interests, have spread fear and instability, threatening the peace, development, and prosperity that Assam has achieved over the past five years.”
The violent protests reflect the heightened emotions surrounding the Zubeen Garg case, which has drawn nationwide attention due to the singer’s sudden demise and the high-profile nature of the accused.
