Assam Police officer and singer Zubeen Garg’s cousin, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sandipan Garg, has been arrested on Wednesday 8th October in connection with the singer’s death in Singapore last month. This is the fifth arrest in the case till now.
Earlier, police had arrested North East India Festival’s chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma, and two of his band members, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, for their suspected involvement in the case.
Confirming the arrest, CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta told PTI, “We have arrested Sandipan Garg. Now, we are completing the legal formalities.” Officials said Sandipan had been questioned multiple times over the past few days before being taken into custody.
Police sources said the DSP was present with Zubeen at the time of the alleged drowning incident in Singapore. “Our team has produced him before the court and will seek police remand,” a senior officer said.
Zubeen Garg passed away on 19th September while swimming in the sea in Singapore. He was there to perform at the 4th edition of the North East India Festival, organised by Mahanta and his company.
The role of people who were with him at the tour and at the time of the deah has come under scanner, because it has been suspected that he died because of negligence of people who were with him. It has been reported he died due to seizure while swimming at the sea. Zubeen Garg was a pateint of seizure, and was hospitalised several times in the past. His doctors had advised him to stay away from water and fire.
Moreover, he used to work or party at night and sleep in the first half of the day. Most people of Assam including his manager and band members were aware of these facts. Despite that, they partied the whole night and then went to the sea directly to the sea in the morning in a yatch booked by some people from Assam staying at Singapore. It has been argued that it was the duty of the manager and others to ensure that Zubeen Garg gets proper rest and he does not go into water.
The case continues to be investigated by the Assam CID to determine the exact circumstances behind the singer’s death. Assam police have summoned eight people from Assam, who are living in Singapore and was with Zubeen Garg on the fatefull day, for quesioning. But so far only one of them have arrived.
