Shockwaves in Assam as Zubeen Garg’s Manager Arrested on Murder Charges Following ‘Poisoning’ Allegation
Guwahati: The investigation into the sudden and mysterious death of Assamese music icon, Zubeen Garg, took a dramatic turn this week after the singer’s long-time manager, Siddharth Sharma, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on October 1st. Sharma now faces grave charges, including criminal conspiracy, murder, and culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as a key witness came forward alleging the beloved singer was “poisoned.”
The arrest stems from a deepening probe into the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death on September 19th in Singapore, where he was reportedly attending a cultural festival. Initial reports from Singapore authorities attributed the 52-year-old singer’s passing to drowning during a yacht outing. However, widespread public suspicion and mounting allegations of foul play in Assam led the state government to form a dedicated SIT.
The breakthrough in the case appears to be a statement from a close associate and bandmate of Garg, who was present at the yacht party. According to the SIT’s remand note, the witness alleged that Sharma and a festival organiser had conspired to poison the singer and deliberately chose a foreign venue to conceal their plot.
The witness detailed a pattern of suspicious behaviour by Sharma in the hours leading up to Garg’s death. This reportedly included the manager taking forcible control of the yacht, insisting on personally supplying all the liquor, and attempting to dismiss the singer’s symptoms—such as frothing at the mouth and nose—as mere “acid reflux.” Most chillingly, the witness claimed that as Garg struggled for breath, Sharma was heard shouting, “Jabo de, jabo de” (let him go), raising the possibility of a calculated, premeditated act rather than a tragic accident. The bandmate further stressed that Garg was an expert swimmer, making accidental drowning highly improbable.
Sharma, who was reportedly tracked down and apprehended near the Delhi-Haryana border, along with the festival organiser who was arrested at a Delhi airport, have been remanded to 14-day police custody for intensive interrogation. Investigators have also seized Garg’s mobile phone from his manager and are examining all documentary and financial evidence.
The case has gripped Assam, where Zubeen Garg is revered as a cultural legend. The inclusion of the murder charge against his manager marks a significant and deeply unsettling development in the search for truth behind the final moments of one of the state’s most celebrated voices. The public and the music fraternity now await further revelations as the SIT continues its high-profile investigation.
