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Zubeen Garg death case: 5 accused sent to judicial custody for another 14 days
Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 after falling unconscious while swimming during a yacht party.
The Kamrup Metropolitan district chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court in Assam on Monday extended the judicial custody of five out of seven accused in singer Zubeen Garg’s death case by another 14 days.
The accused — Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Sandipan Garg (Zubeen’s cousin), and the singer’s two personal security officers Paresh Baishya and Nandeshwar Bora — were produced before the court virtually on October 27 as the Chhath Puja holiday on October 28 led to an early hearing.
They were arrested between October 1 and 10 by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Assam Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the death of the singer.
The district court had on October 15 sent the five accused to 14-day judicial custody and asked the police to keep them outside Guwahati, considering the anger among the locals.
That 14-day judicial custody period ended on Monday, following which the police presented them before the CJM through virtual mode. None of the five accused has applied for bail so far.
The state government had decided to shift them to Baksa district but the police convoy carrying them was attacked, which triggered lathi-charges and firing by the police. Nearly 40 cops were injured, while two locals sustained bullet injuries.
Police arrested several individuals and also claimed that the attack was pre-planned. Later, the two other accused in the case were shifted to Dima Hasao from Guwahati instead of Baksa.
Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 after falling unconscious while swimming during a yacht party. The death was initially termed as a case of drowning by the Singapore General Hospital, though Singapore Police are continuing their investigation.
The Assam Police registered a case under murder charges and arrested seven people, recording statements of more than 70 people, including the singer’s wife Garima Garg.
A team from the SIT last week visited Singapore, and after a meeting with the Singapore Police, visited the site where the singer died. CID chief Munna Prasad Gupta told the media on Saturday that Singapore Police have assured full cooperation and will share certain evidence within the next ten days.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has repeatedly assured that the investigation will be “transparent and free from political influence.”
With the judicial custody extended till mid-November, the CID is expected to continue its investigation, focusing on digital evidence, financial records, and witness statements collected so far.
