Zubeen Garg's cousin, Assam Police officer, suspended after arrest in singer's death case

Sandipan Garg had visited Singapore along with Garg and was present at the scene when the singer died while swimming in sea on September 19.

Updated on: Oct 9, 2025, 04:58:24 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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GUWAHATI: The special investigation team (SIT) of Assam police criminal investigation department (CID) on Wednesday arrested a police officer and a close relative of Zubeen Garg in connection with the cultural icon's death in Singapore last month in a swimming incident.

Assam Police Service (APS) officer Sandipan Garg and singer Zubeen Garg (right).

Sandipan Garg, a cousin of Garg, is an Assam Police Service (APS) officer currently posted as deputy superintendent (law and order) for Kamrup district. The Assam government suspended him from service with immediate effect following his arrest.

He had visited Singapore along with Garg and was present at the scene when the 52-year-old singer-composer-poet-actor-filmmaker died while swimming in sea on September 19.

Also Read | North East Students’ Festival: Young artistes from NE pay heartfelt tribute to Zubeen Garg, in Delhi

This is the fifth arrest in the case. CID had earlier questioned Sandipan for four days before deciding to arrest him. Sandipan is the son of Garg's paternal uncle. Following the arrest he was being produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate of Kamrup (Metropolitan) district and was remanded to police custody for seven days.

"Today we arrested Sandipan following his interrogation. Since an investigation is underway, I can't reveal more than that," special DGP (CID) Assam Police, MP Gupta, who is heading the 10-member SIT, said.

Also Read | Zubeen's wife, sister seek to know circumstances leading to his death in Singapore

Earlier the CID had arrested Shyamkanu Mahanta, organiser of the North East India Festival (NEIF) in Singapore, which Garg had gone to attend, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amritprava Mahanta in connection with the case. All four are in CID custody at present.

"Sandipan was called by them (CID) for questioning following which he was arrested. Maybe they have got some clue in his statements. The investigation process is on and it is taking its own course, I can't comment anything on it," Zubeen Garg's wife, Garrima Saikia Garg, commented in response to Sandipan's arrest.

Following Garg's death while taking part in a yacht party organised by few Assamese NRIs in Singapore under suspicious circumstances, the CID had registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and death due to negligence was registered.

Also Read | ‘If guilty, ultimate punishment must’: Zubeen Garg's wife returns post-mortem report, says probe team knows its job

Later the CID added murder charge as well following interrogations of the four persons arrested earlier. The CID also registered a separate case against Mahanta for alleged financial irregularities after recovery of many seals and some incriminating documents from his Guwahati residence.

Special DGP (CID) Assam Police, MP Gupta, disclosed on Wednesday that fresh summons will be issued to 10 NRIs from Assam based in Singapore. The CID had earlier issued notices to 11 NRIs, who are part of the Assam Association in Singapore to appear before it by October 6 to record their statements related to the case. Eight NRIs from Assam were present in the yacht party, which Garg had attended before dying while swimming. Only one of them has come to Assam and recorded his statements before the CID till date.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that central agencies like enforcement directorate (ED) and income tax (IT) department would investigate allegations of financial irregularities against festival organiser, Shyamkanu Mahanta.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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