Zubeen Garg death probe: Singer’s cousin Sandipan Garg, Assam DSP, arrested; Assam SIT summons 11 NRIs for...

The investigation into Assamese singer Zubeen Garg's death has taken a major turn as police recently arrested the singer's cousin in the case. Sandipan, who serves as Superintendent of Police (In-Charge) with the Assam Police Service (APS), was taken into custody by the Special Investigation of Assam’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), according to reports. Sandipan reportedly accompanied the singer on the yacht in Singapore, where he died. 

Zubeen Garg's cop cousin arrested

According to official sources, the arrest took place shortly after Sandipan Garg appeared before the SIT at the CID headquarters in Guwahati for questioning. He is expected to be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court later in the day. Besides him, 11 NRIs have been issued summons as they are considered key witnesses in the case.  According to CID sources, the eight NRIs were served summons through the Indian High Commission in Singapore with the help of Singapore police authorities. Later, three more were also served summons, asking all 11 to join the investigation by October 6, according to reports.

Why has Sandipan Garg been arrested?

Sandipan Garg, who is the cousin brother of the late singer, was reportedly aboard the yacht in Singapore where the incident leading to Zubeen's death occurred. He had earlier stated on social media that he had "fully cooperated" with the SIT during a marathon interrogation session earlier this week. According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Sandipan Garg, one of the 17 people on the yacht with singer Zubeen Garg, witnessed his last moments. Sandipan reportedly shared that Zubeen removed his life jacket minutes after diving into the water, which may have contributed to his tragic death. 

The arrest marks another major development in the high-profile case that has gripped Assam's public and cultural circles for weeks. The SIT, constituted under the direction of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to ensure a transparent and time-bound probe, has already arrested four individuals before Sandipan Garg's detention. On October 1, the team apprehended Zubeen's manager, Siddharth Sharma and event organiser, Shyamkanu Mahanta, who had coordinated the music festival in Singapore where the singer was supposed to perform. Both were booked under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Subsequently, two bandmates of Zubeen - musician Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amritprabha Mahanta - were taken into custody and remanded to 14-day police custody for further questioning.

The SIT, led by CID Special DGP M. P. Gupta and Chief Investigating Officer Rosie Kalita, continues to explore multiple angles, including possible foul play and financial disputes surrounding the overseas event. Zubeen Garg's untimely death has left fans and colleagues in shock across the Northeast, with his family and well-wishers calling for justice and transparency in the ongoing probe.

(With inputs from IANS)