Assam police investigating the death of singer Zubeen Garg have arrested Siddharth Sharma, the singer’s manager, in connection with alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide. Shyamkanu Mahanta, the festival organiser, has also been named in the probe.
According to the detailed grounds of arrest submitted by the SIT (CID), witness Shekhar Jyoti Goswami stated that Sharma, who stayed with Zubeen at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore, behaved suspiciously prior to the singer’s death.
Goswami alleged that Sharma forcibly took control of a yacht from its sailor, putting passengers at risk, and instructed another person not to handle certain arrangements. During critical moments when Zubeen reportedly struggled to breathe, Sharma allegedly shouted, “let him go.”
Goswami told investigators that Zubeen, an expert swimmer who had trained both him and Sharma, could not have died from drowning alone. He further claimed that Sharma, along with Mahanta, poisoned Zubeen Garg, and deliberately chose Singapore as the venue to conceal the act. Sharma reportedly instructed that yacht videos not be shared with anyone.
Witness statements corroborated Sharma’s suspicious conduct and alleged role in endangering Zubeen. According to the arrest document, Sharma failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for his actions, and material evidence including financial records and witness testimony is cited by police as prima facie evidence of his culpability in serious, non-bailable offences.
The arrest follows procedures under Article 22(1) of the Constitution and relevant Supreme Court rulings. Investigations are ongoing under the supervision of Assam’s SIT (CID).
