Police arrest Zubeen Garg’s cousin — an Assam Police DSP!
Sandipan Garg has been arrested in connection with the singer’s death, with fresh summons being issued to 10 more individuals
Zubeen Garg’s cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg was arrested on 8 October, Wednesday, in connection with the singer's death in Singapore in September, a senior officer said.
Sandipan Garg was booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
This is the fifth arrest in the case. Earlier, North East India Festival chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, and his two band members — Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta — were apprehended.
“We have arrested Sandipan Garg. Now, we are doing the necessary legal formalities,” said CID special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta.
Sandipan Garg, a deputy SP and a cousin of the singer, was present with him during the alleged drowning incident in Singapore. The police officer was interrogated several times in the last few days over the circumstances of Zubeen’s death.
The four individuals previously arrested are now in police custody.
Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on 19 September while swimming in the sea. He had travelled to the Southeast Asian country to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival, organised by Shyamkanu Mahanta.
Fresh summonses to be issued to 10 NRIs too
Meanwhile, the police will issue fresh summonses to 10 individuals associated with the Assam Association Singapore, as they failed to appear before the investigating agency within the deadline, a senior officer confirmed on Wednesday.
Altogether, 11 NRIs from Assam were initially asked to present themselves to the Assam Police by 6 October. However, only one individual, Rupkamal Kalita, complied, attending the CID on Tuesday. Kalita has been under interrogation for over 24 hours since.
“We will be issuing fresh summonses to all of them who have not appeared. We will proceed as per the legal processes,” CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta said.
Sandipan Garg, who was also present on the yacht during the alleged drowning, has been sent to seven days of police remand.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Zubeen Garg's death continues, with authorities piecing together the events that led to the singer's tragic demise.
With PTI inputs