The Assam Police have taken a significant step in the investigation surrounding the death of singer Zubeen Garg, arresting musician Shakharjyoti Goswami and singer Amritprabha Mahanta. Both individuals were reportedly present at the yacht party in Singapore on September 19, the day Garg was found deceased after going for a swim.
Officials stated that evidence found against Goswami and Mahanta necessitated their arrest to facilitate further inquiry. Reports suggest Goswami was seen swimming close to Garg in video footage, while Mahanta allegedly recorded the incident on her phone.
This latest development comes after the arrest of Zubeen Garg’s manager, Siddharth Sharma, and Northeast India Festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta. In a surprising turn, the Assam Police have now invoked a murder charge against Sharma and Mahanta.
Munna Prasad Gupta, Special DGP of the CID, Assam Police, confirmed the arrests and stated that the investigation is ongoing. He mentioned that Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to murder charges, has been added to the FIR. Previously, Sharma and Mahanta were booked under sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.
The investigation is being conducted by a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT). The police are also awaiting autopsy reports from Singaporean authorities and are coordinating through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) for further evidence collection. A second post-mortem was conducted in Guwahati, and authorities are awaiting the viscera report from Delhi for a comprehensive examination.