Assam Police DSP Arrested in Connection with Zubeen Garg’s Death; CID Widens Probe to Financial Irregularities and NRI Links
In a major development in the investigation into the mysterious death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore, Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, who is also...
In a major development in the investigation into the mysterious death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore, Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, who is also the singer’s cousin, has been arrested. Authorities allege his presence during the incident and have linked him to ongoing financial irregularities. His arrest brings the total number of people detained in the case to five, as the probe expands to include cross-border witnesses and suspicious money trails.
DSP Arrested, Suspended, and Remanded
The Assam Police confirmed that DSP Sandipan Garg was taken into custody from Guwahati on Wednesday and has been remanded to seven days’ police custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup Metropolitan district. Following his arrest, he was suspended with immediate effect, pending further investigation.
According to CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta, “We have arrested Sandipan Garg and are completing the necessary legal formalities.” The case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those pertaining to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.
Sources in the CID said Sandipan Garg, who was serving as the co-district in-charge superintendent of Boko–Chhaygaon in Kamrup, had been questioned multiple times before his arrest. Investigators confirmed that he was present with the singer aboard a yacht in Singapore when Zubeen Garg reportedly drowned on September 19.
Expanding Investigation: From Singapore to Assam
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is leading the high-profile probe. The team has begun coordinating with Singaporean authorities through diplomatic channels to verify the events leading to Zubeen’s death.
Police officials revealed that 11 Assamese nationals who were present in Singapore during the incident had been issued summons to appear before the CID by October 6, but only one complied. “We will issue fresh summonses to those who have not responded,” DGP Gupta said, adding that efforts are underway to establish contact with the others abroad in accordance with international legal procedures.
Financial Irregularities Under Scrutiny
The investigation has also uncovered large-scale financial transactions linked to Zubeen Garg’s two personal security officers (PSOs), Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya, who have both been suspended. Preliminary findings revealed suspicious deposits amounting to over ₹1.1 crore in their accounts.
“These PSOs were attached to the singer for nearly a decade, after he received death threats from the banned ULFA outfit. Departmental proceedings have now been initiated,” said Gupta.
Investigators are also probing potential embezzlement and financial misconduct involving the singer’s manager Siddharth Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta, the chief organiser of the North East India Festival in Singapore. Both are currently in police custody alongside band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta.
Chief Minister Promises Justice
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured that the case is progressing “on expected lines” and that the chargesheet will be submitted within the three-month statutory period.
“The government will ensure justice for Zubeen Garg. We will not spare anyone found guilty,” Sarma said during an event in Dibrugarh.
The CM’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, separately filed a criminal defamation case against Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi for alleging that one of her companies had participated in the Singapore festival. Her counsel confirmed that additional defamation suits will be filed against other political figures, including Lurinjyoti Gogoi and the director of the news portal Pratibimba Live.
The Larger Picture
The death of Zubeen Garg — one of Assam’s most beloved cultural icons — has sent shockwaves through the state’s artistic and political circles. Known for his decades-long contribution to Assamese music, cinema, and activism, Garg’s sudden demise has raised serious concerns about the safety, transparency, and integrity of Indian citizens’ engagements abroad.
CID officials have indicated that the investigation will now focus on establishing motive, reconstructing the events on the yacht, and tracing the origins of the financial irregularities connected to the people in his inner circle.