On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, a volatile situation unfolded outside Baksa Central Jail in Assam. Police were forced to use batons to disperse an enraged crowd that had gathered, pelting stones at vehicles transporting five individuals accused in the death of beloved cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, as they arrived at the facility.
The chaotic scene left several people injured, including a policewoman, and shattered vehicle windows. Even journalists covering the incident reportedly sustained injuries from the hurled stones, according to a senior police official.
Hundreds of protesters had converged outside the prison in Mussalpur. As the convoy carrying the accused approached the jail, the crowd erupted, launching stones at the vehicles. Some demonstrators even demanded that the accused be handed over to them for ‘justice for Zubeen’.
Social media footage from the scene captured the intensity of the protests:
#WATCH | Violent protest erupted outside Baksa District Jail in Assam’s Baksa district after five accused in Zubeen Garg death case – main event organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen Garg’s Manager Siddharth Sharma, his cousin Sandipan Garg (suspended APS officer) and two PSOs… pic.twitter.com/Zc5TACcyFw
— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2025
Despite repeated pleas from law enforcement to disperse, the protesters continued to advance, prompting police to conduct a lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. Although the crowd eventually retreated, tensions remained high in the vicinity, with a significant number of people still refusing to leave.
In response to the unrest, senior police officers established a command post in the area, and security around the jail premises has been significantly reinforced.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate remanded North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, his cousin and police officer Sandipan Garg, and his personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya, into judicial custody after their police remand concluded.
Citing safety concerns, the court mandated that the five accused be transferred to a facility with fewer inmates. Consequently, authorities opted to move all five individuals to Baksa Jail in Mussalpur, a new facility inaugurated just two months prior and currently housing no other prisoners.
Zubeen Garg, a revered cultural icon from Assam, tragically passed away on September 19 in Singapore following a swimming accident in the sea.