Zubeen Garg death case: Assam court sends 2 band members to 14-day police remand

A court in Assam on Friday sent Zubeen Garg's band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta to 14 days of police remand in connection with the death of the singer-composer.

Munna Prasad Gupta, the Special DGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), told PTI that the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup Metropolitan district accepted the plea for further interrogation and sent the duo to 14 days of police remand.

"The interrogation of all the four arrested accused is underway. I cannot share anything more at this moment," he said.

Drummer Goswami and co-singer Mahanta were arrested on Thursday after days of interrogation. The two were present on the yacht in Singapore when Garg died while swimming in the sea on September 19.

Police have already invoked murder charges against Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who were nabbed from Delhi on Wednesday. They are also in CID custody for 14 days.

Garg had gone to the Southeast Asian nation to attend the 4th edition of the NorthEast India Festival, organised by Shyamkanu Mahanta and his company.

More than 60 FIRs have been lodged across Assam against Mahanta and around 10 others, including Garg’s manager.

Talking about the second post-mortem examination of Garg conducted in Guwahati, the Special DGP said they are awaiting the final report, as the viscera samples have been sent to Delhi.

"We had sent the viscera samples to the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFL) in Delhi for a detailed examination. Once that report is received, the post-mortem report by the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital will be ready and available to us," he said.

Gupta is heading a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the death of the singer in Singapore.

Asked about the investigation into an alleged financial scam involving Shyamkanu Mahanta, the senior police officer said: "Our probe is underway. We are analysing every detail, but I cannot share anything more." The CID had earlier initiated a separate probe against event manager Mahanta for alleged financial crimes and acquiring benami properties through money laundering.

The agency had seized incriminating documents and items from his home during raids on September 25-26, including multiple PAN cards in the name of the same firm, nearly 30 stamp seals of different companies and government officials, and documents related to several benami properties.

Mahanta is the younger brother of former DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, who is presently the chief information commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission. Another brother of the festival organiser is Nani Gopal Mahanta, who was the education advisor to the CM before becoming the vice chancellor of Gauhati University.