Zubeen’s death: Police find Bengaluru link to Baksa attack on convoy; 9 arrested

The Assam police said that the assault on the convoy was a well-planned operation monitored from Bengaluru

Silchar: Nine persons have been arrested in connection with Wednesday’s violent attack on a police convoy in Assam’s Baksa during the transfer of five accused in the Zubeen Garg death case, police said adding that the assault was a well-planned operation monitored from Bengaluru.

Police said that most of those arrested have a criminal history and are being investigated thoroughly. (Representational image)

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Baksa, Ujjal Pratim Baruah, said on Saturday that most of those arrested have a criminal history and are being investigated thoroughly.

“They created a WhatsApp group and tracked the police convoy’s movement minute-by-minute before launching the attack,” Baruah said.

Following Zubeen’s death in Singapore on September 19, the Assam Government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Crime Investigation Department (CID). Seven people, including a cousin of the late singer who was also a senior police officer, were arrested on murder charges.

Five of the accused were produced in court on Wednesday and subsequently sent to 14-day judicial custody. According to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the court instructed police to move them out of Guwahati due to security concerns, leading to their transfer to Baksa.

“At around 10.30 am, the court ordered the judicial remand and directed that they be kept outside Guwahati. We had prepared several jails in advance and chose Baksa as it was relatively peaceful,” Sarma said on Thursday.

However, what began as a peaceful gathering reportedly escalated due to provocative social media posts. SSP Baruah noted that discussions in a specific WhatsApp group revealed plans to stone the convoy.

“The group admin, who has been traced to an area near Bengaluru, was instructing members on when to begin pelting stones and how violent the attack should be,” he said.

Over 40 police personnel were injured during the incident, with several sustaining grievous injuries. Authorities used video footage and digital evidence to identify suspects, and more arrests are expected.

In the aftermath, the local administration suspended internet and mobile data services, and 15 companies of additional security forces were deployed to restore law and order.

The SSP said that the situation is normal in the district now and they are investigating the matter, related to the attack, further.