Two More Arrested in Zubeen Garg Death Case, Assam Police Add Murder Charge

The Assam Police on Thursday arrested musician Shakharjyoti Goswami and singer Amritprabha Mahanta in connection with the death of renowned singer Zubeen Garg, who drowned in Singapore last month. Both were present at a yacht party on September 19, when Garg, 52, went swimming and was later found floating face down, officials said.

“We have found some evidence against them. So, to enquire further, their arrest was necessary,” a police officer told PTI. According to NDTV, Goswami was seen swimming near Garg while Mahanta filmed the incident on her phone.

The arrests come a day after Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and Northeast India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta were taken into custody in Delhi and flown to Guwahati. In a new development, police have invoked Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita—punishment for murder—against them. They were remanded to 14 days in custody.

CID chief Munna Prasad Gupta, who is leading a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), said investigators are awaiting the viscera report from Delhi’s Central Forensic Laboratory and the results of a second autopsy conducted in Guwahati. Singaporean authorities will also share their post-mortem findings directly with Garg’s family under protocol.

The case has sparked widespread attention in Assam, with over 60 FIRs lodged across the state against Shyamkanu Mahanta and others. Police also raided his residence last week, seizing documents linked to alleged financial crimes and benami properties.

The SIT has sought clearance to send a team to Singapore under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) for further evidence collection.

Garg’s mysterious death has triggered an outpouring of grief in Assam, where the celebrated singer had gone to perform at the 4th edition of the Northeast India Festival.