Zubeen death case: Lathi-charge outside jail as protesters hurl stones at vehicles carrying accused

The Assam police on Wednesday resorted to lathi-charge to disperse an agitated mob that hurled stones at vehicles carrying five accused arrested in cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s death case as they were being brought to Baksa Central Jail, police said.

A few people, including a policewoman, were injured and glass panes of vehicles were smashed, while some journalists covering the protests were also hit by stones, a senior officer said.

A large number of protesters gathered outside the prison in the Mussalpur area, and as the convoy of vehicles carrying the accused for being lodged in the prison arrived, they started pelting the vehicles with stones, he said.

Some even demanded that the accused be handed over to the public to ensure “justice for Zubeen”.

Although the convoy managed to enter the jail premises, the protesters scuffled with the policemen deployed at the gates as they attempted to breach the cordon, the officer said.

Despite the requests of the policemen to the protesters to move back, they kept pressing forward, following which the law enforcers resorted to lathi-charge to control the situation, he said.

Tension still prevailed in the area as the mob moved back but was yet to leave the area, the officer said.

Senior police officers camped in the area and security has been heightened in and around the jail premises, he said.

Earlier in the day, North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, his cousin and police officer Sandipan Garg and his personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya were remanded to judicial custody by Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate after their police remand ended.

The court, expressing concern for their safety, also ruled that they should be sent to a jail where there were less prisoners.

Accordingly, the authorities decided to shift all five to Baksa Jail at Mussalpur, which was inaugurated two months ago and there are still no prisoners there, an official said.

Assam’s cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, died in Singapore while swimming in the sea on September 19.