A court in Guwahati has ordered 14 days of SIT custody for two key individuals linked to the investigation into singer Zubeen Garg's death. The Chief Judicial Magistrate's court remanded drummer Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprabha Mahanta on Friday.
Arrests and Expanding Investigation
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the duo on Thursday evening after questioning them for six days. This development came shortly after the arrests of Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser of the North East India Festival in Singapore, and Siddharth Sharma, Zubeen Garg's manager and an employee of a Mumbai talent firm.
Shyamkanu Mahanta was apprehended by the Bureau of Immigration at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of Wednesday. On the same day, the SIT located and detained Siddharth Sharma from Gurgaon. Both were subsequently brought to Assam and formally arrested. They are also currently in a 14-day SIT custody period.
Serious Charges and New Developments
Initially, the accused faced charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and causing death by negligence. However, based on interrogations, investigators have now added the more severe charge of murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Investigators disclosed that both Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta were in Singapore when Zubeen Garg died. Officials stated that the timing and purpose of this foreign trip are being scrutinised to see if they have any bearing on the circumstances of the singer's demise.
Wider Net and Family's Allegations
The SIT's probe has extended beyond the currently arrested individuals. The team has also questioned actor Nishita Goswami and police officer Sandipon Garg, who is Zubeen's cousin. Both were present in Singapore at the time of the incident.
The legal process accelerated after the SIT issued summons on September 26 to Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, and 11 others, directing them to appear by October 6. As Shyamkanu and Siddharth remained absconding since Zubeen's death on September 19, a lookout circular was issued against them the very next day.
Adding a personal dimension to the case, Zubeen Garg's wife, Garima, filed an FIR with the CID on September 27. She alleged that Siddharth Sharma and Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, who were with Zubeen on the yacht on the fateful day, should not have permitted him to swim. She also claimed that Siddharth did not properly inform her about the events of September 19 despite her repeated calls. Garima has publicly questioned the security and medical arrangements made by Shyamkanu Mahanta for her husband.
Police officials have emphasised that the investigation is at a sensitive stage. They stress the importance of collecting strong corroborative evidence before reaching any final conclusions in this high-profile case.
