GUWAHATI, Oct. 15: Five arrested accused in connection with legendary singer Zubeen Garg’s death last month were brought to a prison in lower Assam’s Baksa district amidst a tense situation as an irate mob attacked the police convoy as it entered the main entrance of Baksa district jail on Wednesday afternoon.
The arrested accused – the North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta; Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma; the late singer’s cousin, Sandipan Garg, along with the singer’s two personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya – were taken to the Baksa district jail at Nikashi after they were produced before the chief judicial magistrate here and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody.
The period of police custody of the arrested accused at the CID headquarters here had ended following which they were remanded to two weeks’ judicial custody.
According to reports, animated protesters, comprising thousands of men and women who had gathered there for hours, shouted slogans demanding justice for their beloved singer, and capital punishment for those responsible for his death.
Security had to be beefed up as tension grew with the mob becoming uncontrollable as the police vehicles brought the five accused to the prison from Guwahati.
Several on-duty police personnel and a few mediapersons were reportedly injured as the angry mob pelted stones at them, prompting police to resort to lathi-charge and teargas shelling in a bid to disperse the mob and control the situation. Vehicles near the jail were damaged and set on fire by a section of protesters.
According to reports, the volatile situation prompted the district administration to impose Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and prohibit the assembly of five or more persons in the area.
Notably, the Baksa district jail is a newly-built prison and was reportedly chosen to keep the accused in the high-profile case, keeping in mind the security of the accused, and the emotions of the people following the untimely and ‘mysterious’ death security of the singer in Singapore on September 19.
Meanwhile, 10 out of the 11 members of the Assamese diaspora, who were with Zubeen Garg during the yacht trip in Singapore on the fateful day, have given their statements to the special investigation team (SIT) of Assam CID (crime investigation department), which is conducting a probe into the case and has assured to submit a chargesheet in 90 days.
Three expatriates – Sushmita Goswami, Pritam Bhuyan and Debojyoti Hazarika – arrived from Singapore and deposed before the probe team at the CID office.
Special DGP of CID and SIT head, Munna Prasad Gupta on Wednesday informed mediapersons here that only one person – Wajid Ahmed – who is a citizen of Singapore – is yet to arrive here and give his statement. “We believe that he will also arrive here soon to give his statement,” Gupta said.
Gupta also dismissed a post mortem report of Zubeen Garg circulating on social media as fake, as the purported post mortem report was not signed by a doctor.
He further appealed to people not to believe unverified reports in connection with the case and warned those circulating such news on social media of strict action.
