The mysterious death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore on September 19 has taken a new turn. Assam Police arrested musician Shakharjyoti Goswami and singer Amritprabha Mahanta on Thursday in connection with the case. Both were present when Garg went swimming and was later found floating face down in the water during the Northeast India Festival in Singapore.
An officer said, “We have found some evidence against them. So, to enquire further, their arrest was necessary.” Reports suggest that Goswami was seen swimming very close to Garg, while Mahanta reportedly recorded the incident on her cellphone.
The arrests come after the earlier detention of Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who were brought to Guwahati from Delhi and remanded to 14-day police custody.
Munna Prasad Gupta (Special DGP of Assam Police’s Criminal Investigation Department – CID) said investigations are ongoing. He shared, “The investigation is going on, and I cannot share much detail. We have added Section 103 of the BNS in the FIR now.”
Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) deals with punishment for murder, including life imprisonment or death. Earlier, Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta were booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
Zubeen Garg Death: Over 60 FIRs Filed In Assam
Amritprabha Mahanta comes from a prominent family. His younger brother is former Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta (now chief information commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission). His elder brother, Nani Gopal Mahanta, was the education advisor to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma before becoming vice-chancellor of Gauhati University.
The CID is investigating multiple FIRs related to Garg’s death. Over 60 FIRs have been filed across Assam against Mahanta and about 10 others, including Garg’s manager. Mahanta had organised the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, where Garg performed. A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up to probe the incident. The team is ready to travel to Singapore once formal approvals are granted under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).
Autopsy, Evidence And Related Cases
On the autopsy, Gupta confirmed that Singapore authorities have completed their post-mortem, and the report will be shared directly with Garg’s family. A second post-mortem in Guwahati is also underway, with viscera samples sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory in Delhi. He said, “Once the viscera report is received, I guess the post-mortem report by the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital will be ready and available to us.”
Assam Police are also investigating Shyamkanu Mahanta separately for alleged financial crimes and money laundering. During raids on September 25–26, CID seized documents, multiple PAN cards, stamp seals and papers linked to benami properties.
