Massive protest in Assam: Effigies of accused in Zubeen Garg case burned

Guwahati: The Assam Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) regional committee on Thursday symbolically hanged effigies of two prime accused, Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma, in the mysterious death case of beloved singer Zubeen Garg.

The macabre protest unfolded at the bustling Ledo Bazaar Public Bus Stand under Margherita in Tinsukia district of upper Assam, drawing thousands who chanted slogans against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Dispur, demanding swift justice for their "cultural god."

The effigies, crudely fashioned with placards branding the men as "killers of Assam's soul," dangled from a makeshift gallows amid cries of "Jai Aai Axom!" Protesters torched the figures after the symbolic execution, sending plumes of black smoke into the afternoon sky as a metaphor for the ashes of unresolved grief.

"We are hanging till death symbolically the two prime accused in our beloved singer Zubeen Garg's death case, Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma. It is completely symbolic in this public place among the public. Because in the court of the people, they are culprits. However, we demand exemplary punishment for all those behind the mysterious death of Zubeen Da," declared one protester, a local student leader, his voice hoarse from the crowd's fervor.

The gathering swelled into a sea of flags, with demonstrators vowing to escalate if the probe stalls.

 "Joy Aai Axom! The government must take prompt action in this case. We want justice for our cultural god Zubeen Garg," echoed another voice, a middle-aged fan clutching a faded poster of the singer's hit album Axomiyai Vikas.

Similar protests rippled across Jorhat, Dibrugarh, and Guwahati, where fans blockaded roads, forcing school closures and halting trade. The unrest underscores a deepening rift: while official probes cite drowning, whispers of poisoning, blackmail, and financial foul play have fueled conspiracy theories, turning mourning into militancy.

Zubeen Garg, 52, the voice behind anthems like O Mur Apunar Desh, met his tragic end on September 19, 2025, while swimming in a sea in Singapore.

Initial Singaporean autopsy reports listed drowning as the cause. 

Eyewitness videos showed Garg, known for epilepsy bouts, floating listlessly before rescue efforts failed at Singapore General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:30 pm IST.

Over 60 FIRs flooded Assam police stations, accusing Mahanta and Sharma of culpable homicide, conspiracy, and negligence. The CID registered Case No. 18/2025 under Sections 105 (culpable homicide), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), and 106(1) (death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Later, a section on murder was added to it.

Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, and five others are now in judicial custody in two different jails of the state.