Assam Police have arrested Shyamkanu Mahanta, chief organiser of the North East India Festival (NEIF), and Siddhartha Sharma, manager of the late singer Zubeen Garg, in connection with the singer’s death in Singapore on September 19, 2025. Both were remanded to 14-day police custody by a Guwahati court on October 1, 2025.
Zubeen Garg, 52, died while swimming at Lazarus Island in Singapore. Initial reports suggested he died during a scuba diving incident; however, his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, clarified that he suffered a seizure while swimming without a life jacket. She alleged negligence on the part of Mahanta and Sharma, questioning the lack of medical assistance and security.
Following the incident, the Assam government formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death. The Indian government also invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Singapore to facilitate the investigation.
Mahanta was arrested upon his arrival at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport from Singapore, while Sharma was apprehended from an apartment in Gurugram. Both were flown to Guwahati under police escort and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, who remanded them to 14-day police custody.
The CID has seized several documents and items from Mahanta’s residence during raids, indicating the seriousness of the investigation. The SIT continues to investigate the case, with authorities seeking to determine the exact circumstances leading to Garg’s death.
Zubeen Garg was cremated with full state honours in Assam’s Kamrup district on September 23, 2025, with thousands of fans turning up to bid him a final farewell.
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