"Police arrest might be safest option,” says former IGP on Zubeen case

The sudden demise of Assam’s beloved music icon, Zubeen Garg, has left the state in shock and mourning, while triggering a wave of outrage over the circumstances leading to his passing. Many across Assam have raised questions about the role of event organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta, who coordinated the North East Festival in Singapore, where Zubeen was last seen performing.

Allegations have surfaced that despite Zubeen’s fragile health, he was permitted to travel abroad without adequate arrangements. Critics claim Mahanta prioritized business meetings during the trip, instead of ensuring the singer’s well-being. This has led to widespread protests across the state, with complaints being filed against him. Acting upon these grievances, the CID has registered a case, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has admitted that the accusations cannot be dismissed outright. He confirmed that both Shyamkanu Mahanta and Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma, who accompanied the singer until his final moments, will come under the scanner of the ongoing investigation.

It has also emerged that Singapore Police had previously interrogated Mahanta, Sharma, and nine others connected to the incident—a detail Mahanta himself has acknowledged.

Adding a new dimension to the controversy, former Assam DGP and IPS officer Violet Baruah shared a viral Facebook post voicing concern over the case. She noted that such investigations often contain loopholes, which risk shielding the accused rather than ensuring accountability. Baruah emphasized that the CID should have invoked Section 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (relating to disappearance of evidence or provision of false information) while registering the case. She remarked that in such scenarios, arrests may actually prove to be the safest course of action.

In her post, Baruah also expressed personal grief, remembering Zubeen not only as the “heartthrob of a generation” but also as a mischievous child-like figure within Assamese households, embodying the very essence of the state’s cultural identity. Her remarks have sparked a flurry of reactions, with many urging her to expand further on her observations.