Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma were among the four accused charged with murder in the chargesheet filed on Friday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the death of the famed singer and Assamese cultural icon.
The accused also include bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprava Mahanta.
Mahanta was the chief organiser of the North East India Festival, which was attended by Garg in Singapore, where he died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea on September 19.
Garg’s cousin and suspended Assam Police officer Sandipan Garg has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the chargsheet submitted at the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court earlier in the day, lawyers said.
The singer’s two personal security officers (PSOs) Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya have been charged under Section 31c of the BNS, which deals with criminal breach of trust by misappropriating funds or property entrusted to them, the lawyers said.
The Assam government had constituted the SIT, led by Special DGP M P Gupta, to investigate into the singer’s death.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had claimed in the recently concluded assembly session that Garg’s death was ”plain and simple murder”.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF), carrying out an independent investigation into Garg’s death, had said in a statement that preliminary probe has not indicated any foul play, and that the investigations may take up to another three months.
Meanwhile, Zubeen Garg’s wife Garima on Friday welcomed the chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team.
Zubeen Garg’s Wife Garima Saikia Garg Lauds SIT Chargesheet, Hopes for Justice#Assam #ZubeenGarg #JusticeForZubeenGarg #shyamkanumahanta #SiddharthSharma #shekharjyotigoswami #amritprabhamahanta #northeast #northeastlive #GarimaSaikiagarg pic.twitter.com/lbptVKfEBh
— Northeast Live (@NELiveTV) December 12, 2025
“The investigation began on the basis of the FIR filed by us against the accused on behalf of our family. The probe proceeded on expected lines for which we are very grateful to the investigating agency,” Garima told reporters.
She added that the probe’s results were in accordance with public expectations and said, “Now everything depends on the judicial process, which we hope will move smoothly. We have faith in our nation’s judiciary and want the guilty to be punished accordingly.”
Garima said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has indicated that the Chief Justice will be requested for a fast-track court, adding, “We also want the matter to be resolved at the earliest. Our house has been shattered and people are very disturbed that a person like Zubeen Garg could be killed. The people of entire Assam want the guilty to be punished.”
On participation in investigations by Singaporean authorities, she said the probe is based on the family’s FIR, and they have full faith in the probe and judiciary.
