‘Being made scapegoat’: Event organiser seeks central probe in Zubeen death case

Alleging a media trial, Northeast India Festival chief organiser SK Mahanta on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking consolidation of more than 54 FIRs filed in northeastern states and transfer of the probe into Assamese singer Zubeen Garg’s death from Assam Police to the CBI or NIA under the supervision of a retired judge of the top court.

One of Assam’s most celebrated singers, Garg (52), passed away in Singapore on September 19, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the festival. Reports suggested that he drowned while swimming near an island during a yacht outing. The police have invoked murder charges against Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and Mahanta, who were arrested from Delhi on Wednesday and are in 14-day custody of CID.

Mahanta alleged that he has been unfairly vilified by both the state machinery and the media, subjected to a “vicious media trial” and made a “scapegoat” in connection with Garg’s sudden death, after the Assam Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence.

Judicial commission to probe singer’s death: Assam CM

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said a judicial commission would be formed to probe the death of the state’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg. The commission will be headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court, he said in a Facebook live. “We will form the commission on Saturday. Now, we request all people who have any information or videos related to Zubeen’s death to come forward and depose in front of the commission,” he added.

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He has sought a direction to the media and social media platforms to cease prejudicial coverage until investigations are complete.

Stating that he last met the singer on September 17, two days before the incident, Mahanta submitted he was busy organising the three-day cultural festival in Singapore scheduled for September 19-21 and was not present at the site of Garg’s death.

“The petitioner is a victim of a well-calculated witch-hunt involving irresponsible media reportings, both print and electronic, which seek to create a false narrative with regard to the alleged involvement of the petitioner in the sad and unfortunate demise of his very dear personal friend, Zubeen Garg,” Mahanta said.

“This is a classic case where the petitioner, who himself is grieving due to the passing away of his friend, has been made the target of public hate and has not been allowed to even pay his respects at the last rites of the late singer,” he submitted.

While seeking transfer of the probe from the Assam SIT to the CBI or the NIA monitored by a retired Supreme Court judge, Mahanta urged the top court to restrain the Assam Police from taking coercive measures such as arrest, detention, or harassment against him.

He urged the top court to order preservation of crucial evidence, including Garg’s postmortem report, Singapore investigation records, video footage of the incident and medical history pointing to the singer’s prior health conditions, such as epileptic fits.

Mahanta sought de-sealing of his properties and unfreezing of bank accounts belonging to him and his family.