The nation was left in shock following the sudden demise of beloved singer Zubeen Garg last Friday. Garg tragically passed away in Singapore due to a scuba diving accident, just a day before he was scheduled to perform at the Northeast India Festival. Amidst the widespread scrutiny and mounting allegations, Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organizer of the North East India Festival in Singapore, has released a video on Facebook to clarify his position and defend himself and his organization.
In the video, Mahanta asserted that his name is being dragged into the controversy solely for TRP purposes, with numerous baseless accusations leveled against him. He recounted that he was first informed of Zubeen Garg’s passing at 3:30 pm on September 19. Mahanta defended his decision to invite Garg, emphasizing that as the brand ambassador, it was his responsibility to do so. He mentioned that Garg was staying at the prestigious Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore and that their performance arrangements, including a tribute to Bhupen Hazarika, had been confirmed. Mahanta expressed his profound shock and grief upon hearing the news of Garg’s death.
In parallel developments, Assam Police’s Special Investigating Team (SIT) conducted raids at the residences of both Shyamkanu Mahanta and his manager, Siddhartha Sharma, on Thursday. Reports indicated that only helpers were present at Mahanta’s residence during the raids. The Assam government has formed a 10-member SIT, under the leadership of Special DGP M P Gupta, to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death in Singapore.
Assam Chief Minister, expressing concern, tweeted an update on the case, stating, “Update on #BelovedZubeen’s case 👉 Assam CID will interrogate Shyamkanu Mahanta and everyone connected to this matter. 👉 If the Assam CID is unable to unearth all the facts, we will approach the CBI. 👉 Please do not spread rumours. If anyone has any leads or material, kindly contact the CID.”