Shyamakunu Mahant, the chief organizer of the North East India Festival (NEIF) Festival, and Siddharth Sharma, manager of the singer have been arrested in connection with the death of Zubin Garg in Singapore. The police gave this information on Wednesday. Mahant was arrested from Singapore on reaching Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, while Sharma was arrested from an apartment in Gurugram. A senior police official said that both were brought to Guwahati on Wednesday morning.
The Assam government on September 19 formed a 10 -member Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the leadership of Special Director General of Police MP Gupta to investigate the case of singer’s death in Singapore. The SIT issued notices to those who went to Singapore for the festival and recording their statements for the festival, including Mahant, Sharma and members of the Singapore Assam Association.
Chief Minister Himant Vishwa Sharma had earlier said that a ‘lookout notice’ has been issued against Mahant and Sharma through Interpol, asking him to appear before the Crime Investigation Department (CID) by October 6.
Earlier, Zubine Garg’s wife Garima Saikia Garg said on Monday that the singer’s family wants to know what happened in his last moments that led to his death and should be properly investigated.Garima told reporters after the singer’s eleventh day ritual here, “We want to know what happened to him, why this happened and how it can be negligent? We need answers.”He said that those who were on the boat (before his death) and in the program should “answer it”.He said, “When he knew that he was not in a swim position, why did they not draw them out of the water? They could do it, because it was very easy to distract his attention.”
He said that his manager Siddharth Sharma knew that Zubine should not go near water or fire as it could cause him an epileptic attack.Garima further said, “I want justice! I want a proper investigation and answers to all our questions. I have full confidence in the investigation process.”He said that the family hoped that the people with him would take care of them, but “Now we have realized that they did not do so.”