The investigation into the death of singer Zubeen Garg widened on Tuesday night after the Assam CID’s special investigation team (SIT) detained North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and the singer’s manager Siddharth Sarma from different states, according to officials. Both were produced in court and granted 14 days of custody, they said.
Shyamkanu Mahanta was taken into custody around 12.30 am (Wednesday) at Delhi airport before being flown to Guwahati, where the team arrived at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport on Wednesday morning. Sources said another SIT team detained Siddharth Sarma from Rajasthan after staying overnight in Gurugram. He is also expected to be brought to Assam shortly.
A separate investigation was initiated by the Assam Police against event manager Mahanta on Sunday. The event manager is an accused in singer Zubeen Garg’s death, for his alleged involvement in organised financial crimes and acquiring properties by money laundering, official documents accessed by news agency PTI showed.
Shyamkanu is the younger brother of former DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, who is presently the chief information commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission. His another elder brother is Nani Gopal Mahanta, who was the education advisor to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma before becoming the vice chancellor of Gauhati University.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) seized bundles of “incriminating" documents and items from Shyamkanu’s home during the raid on Thursday and Friday, the documents showed.
The CID is currently probing Garg’s death after more than 60 FIRs were lodged across the state against Mahanta, the main organiser of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore where the singer had gone to perform, and almost 10 others, including the Assamese cultural icon’s manager Sarma. Garima Garg, wife of the late singer Zubeen Garg, said she remains confident in the legal process and is hopeful justice will be delivered.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) recovered what it described as “incriminating" material during searches at the residence of Shyamkanu on Thursday and Friday, documents revealed.
The seizure included multiple PAN cards issued in the name of a single firm, nearly 30 stamp seals linked to various companies and government offices, as well as papers connected to several alleged benami properties.
