Fresh Twists in Zubeen Garg’s Death Case: Two More Arrested in Singapore Link

The investigation into singer Zubeen Garg’s mysterious death has intensified with the arrest of two more individuals close to him — fellow musician Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprabha Mahanta. Both were present in Singapore at the time of Garg’s death, and police say fresh evidence has warranted their custody, according to a PTI report.

“With the evidence gathered, their arrest became necessary for further enquiry,” a senior officer told reporters.

With these developments, four people are now behind bars in connection with the case. On Wednesday, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta — the man behind the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, where Garg had gone to perform — were arrested and booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.

Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta confirmed that Sharma and Mahanta have been remanded to 14-day police custody. He also revealed that investigators have now added Section 103 of the BNS, which pertains to murder and carries the maximum punishment of death or life imprisonment along with a fine.

The case carries significant political undertones, given that Shyamkanu is the younger brother of former Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, now serving as the state’s Chief Information Commissioner, while another elder brother, Nani Gopal Mahanta, was Education Advisor to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma before taking charge as Gauhati University’s Vice-Chancellor.

The CID’s probe has expanded swiftly, driven by more than 60 FIRs lodged across Assam following Garg’s sudden demise. The 52-year-old singer died in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea during his trip for the festival.

Gupta, who heads the Special Investigation Team (SIT), said the investigation is progressing on multiple fronts. “Our team is ready to leave for Singapore once formalities under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) are cleared. The request has already been sent through the proper channel,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Singaporean authorities have completed their autopsy and will directly hand over the report to Garg’s family. In India, a second autopsy conducted in Guwahati is still pending viscera analysis from the Central Forensic Laboratory in Delhi.

Investigators have also issued notices to members of the Assam Association in Singapore, who helped organise the festival, through the Indian High Commission. Even Garg’s cousin, Deputy SP Sandipan Garg, who was with him during the incident, has been interrogated.

Beyond the death probe, authorities are scrutinising Mahanta’s financial dealings. Raids at his residence reportedly yielded “incriminating documents,” including multiple PAN cards under the same firm, dozens of stamp seals of companies and government offices, and records linked to alleged benami properties.