Five individuals, recently arrested in connection with the untimely demise of beloved singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore last month, have now been placed in judicial custody. This development occurred on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, following the conclusion of their police remand period.
Among those remanded by the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate are Shyamkanu Mahanta, the chief organizer of the North East India Festival (NEIF); Siddhartha Sharma, Zubeen’s manager; Sandipan Garg, the singer’s cousin and a police officer; and two of his personal security officers (PSOs), Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.
The court cited concerns for the accused’s safety, stipulating that they should be transferred to a correctional facility with a lower inmate population.
In adherence to the court’s directive, authorities made arrangements to transfer all five individuals to Baksa Jail in Mussalpur. This facility, inaugurated just two months prior, currently has no other prisoners, ensuring a secure environment as per the court’s order.
Mahanta and Sharma were initially apprehended in Delhi on October 1, 2025. Their arrests stemmed from the singer’s death in Singapore, and they were charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence. Murder charges were subsequently added. The duo had been in police custody for 14 days, which concluded on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
Zubeen Garg’s cousin, Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, faced arrest on October 8, followed by a seven-day police remand. At the time of his arrest, Sandipan, who was serving as the officer-in-charge of the co-district superintendent of police in Boko-Chaygaon, Kamrup district, was immediately suspended from his duties.
Notably, the police officer had accompanied the singer to Singapore and was present on the yacht during Zubeen’s final moments. Following this, the singer’s two personal security officers were arrested on October 10 and placed under five-day police custody.
Further arrests in the case include Zubeen’s band members, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amritprava Mahanta, who were taken into custody on October 3 and subjected to a 14-day police remand.
Adding another layer to the investigation, the CID has launched a separate inquiry into Shyamkanu Mahanta. This probe focuses on allegations of organized financial crimes and the acquisition of substantial ‘benami’ properties through money laundering activities.
The Assam Government has established a dedicated 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death by drowning in the sea on September 19 in Singapore.
Over 60 First Information Reports (FIRs) were lodged across Assam against Mahanta, Sharma, and several others involved. Consequently, the Chief Minister instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) to consolidate all these FIRs with the CID and register a single, comprehensive case to ensure a meticulous investigation.