Assam police SIT files chargesheet in Zubeen Garg death case

Guwahati: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Assam Police has filed a detailed chargesheet in the case concerning the death of singer Zubeen Garg. The SIT submitted the chargesheet along with supporting documents before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Guwahati.

Zubeen Garg died on September 19, 2025, after losing consciousness while swimming during a yacht outing in Singapore. He had travelled to Singapore as the cultural brand ambassador for the North East India Festival. The outing, reportedly arranged by members of the Assam Association Singapore before the festival began, turned fatal when Garg collapsed in the water.

The case, initially registered by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), is being probed under sections related to criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and causing death by negligence. Investigators later added murder charges to the case.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has repeatedly asserted that the singer’s death was the result of deliberate foul play. “It was a murder case from day one. The accused Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Amritprava Mahanta, and Shekhar Jyoti Goswami have been jailed for murder,” Sarma said last month.

Seven Arrested in the Case

Police have arrested seven individuals connected to Garg’s final trip to Singapore.
The first arrests included festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and the singer’s manager Siddhartha Sharma. Three others who accompanied Garg on the Singapore visit — his cousin and Assam Police Service officer Sandipan Garg, and band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta — were also detained. The SIT additionally arrested Garg’s two personal security officers, Paresh Baishya and Nandeswar Bora.

The investigation and its political dimensions have surfaced repeatedly in both the Lok Sabha and the recently concluded winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly. Inside the Assembly, Chief Minister Sarma reiterated his stance, claiming, “One of those arrested killed him, and the others helped.”

Singapore Police Continues Separate Probe

Since the death occurred in Singapore, authorities there are conducting an independent investigation. Their preliminary findings, however, have stated that they found no indication of foul play at the early stage of inquiry.