Indian musician Zubeen Garg, who died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on Sept 19, enjoyed a cult like following in Assam. - AFP
NEW DELHI: It began with a festival and ended in a tragedy. The man who managed Zubeen Garg’s music and the organiser who took him to Singapore for a cultural festival are now in police custody.
The arrests have opened a new chapter in the investigation into the singer’s untimely death that shocked his fans across the world.
According to Delhi Police, Zubeen’s manager Siddhartha Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta were arrested this week.
Sharma was picked up from an apartment in Gurugram, while Mahanta was detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as he returned from Singapore.
Both men were later flown to Guwahati in the early hours of Oct 1 for questioning.
The arrests come almost two weeks after the legendary Assamese singer died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on Sept 19.
Reports say Zubeen had gone into the water without a life jacket and drowned. He was in Singapore to perform at a cultural festival organised by the local Assamese community.
The Assam government had earlier set up a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances surrounding Zubeen’s death.
Notices were sent to several people who had either travelled with him or were part of the event. These included Mahanta, Sharma, members of the Singapore Assam Association, and even close associates of the singer.
Police say both Sharma and Mahanta were supposed to present their statements before the SIT earlier, but they failed to appear. Their absence triggered search operations last week, with raids conducted at their homes. The two were finally tracked down and arrested in Delhi.
Back home in Assam, emotions have been running high ever since Zubeen’s death was confirmed. His fans, who adored him not just as a singer but as an icon of Assamese identity, had earlier stormed Siddhartha Sharma’s house in Guwahati. The protest turned violent, and clashes broke out with police.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been closely monitoring the case. In a Facebook Live session, he made a direct appeal to Sharma and Mahanta. In the video, he gave them until Oct 6 to come forward.
Zubeen Garg’s death certificate issued by a Singapore hospital lists the cause of death as drowning. But the Assam government is not closing the matter yet. A postmortem in India is likely to give more clarity. - The Statesman/ANN
