Assam: AM TV CMD Sanjive Narain appears before CID over Zubeen Garg death probe

AM Television Chairman and Managing Director Sanjive Narain, a close associate of late singer Zubeen Garg, appeared at the CID office on Tuesday, September 30 in connection with the ongoing investigation into the artist’s death. Narain assured officials of his full cooperation and pledged to extend any support required for the probe.

Narain, who has been under public scrutiny following a wave of speculation and allegations on social media, had earlier described the accusations against him as “malicious, painful, and deeply unfair.” In a press conference on September 24, he said he deliberately refrained from commenting immediately after Garg’s death to allow the people of Assam to mourn.

“Zubeen was like family to me. It would have been wrong to speak when his last rites had not yet been completed. But the lies that were spread in the meantime hurt me and my family beyond measure,” he had stated.

One of the most circulated claims alleged Narain hosted a private party in Singapore on September 18, which Garg supposedly attended. Dismissing the claim outright, Narain said he was in Guwahati at the time, attending the premiere of Shaheed Pranam Tumak. He produced travel documents to show he flew to Kolkata the same evening and then boarded an international flight to Singapore at 11:30 pm IST.

“The party video timestamped at 9:39 pm Singapore time coincided with my presence at Guwahati Airport. There was no way I could have been in Singapore, let alone organizing a party,” he asserted, presenting boarding passes as proof.

Another allegation suggested Narain had booked the yacht where Zubeen’s accident occurred. He denied any involvement, stating he only arrived in Singapore at 6:30 am on September 19 and was resting in his hotel when he received news of the tragedy. He later learned that a member of the Singapore Assamese community, identified as Tanmay, had arranged the yacht.

Narain provided a poignant account of rushing to the jetty where attempts were being made to resuscitate the singer. “I shouted, asking why Zubeen was even allowed to go to sea and why CPR was being given there instead of rushing him to the hospital,” he recalled.

He added that while Singapore Police initially permitted only him to accompany Garg in the ambulance, he insisted that Zubeen’s manager Siddhartha, who knew his medical history, also join. Despite extensive efforts in the ICU, doctors declared Garg dead at 5:15 pm Singapore time (2:45 pm IST).

Narain broke down while recalling the aftermath, saying he was denied the chance to pay his last respects. “This targeted campaign denied me my right to say goodbye to my 35-year-old friend. Despite repeated requests, we were advised not to attend the funeral. The pain of not seeing him one last time will stay with me forever,” he said.

He also accused “a handful of people on social media” of weaponizing grief and spreading unverified conspiracy theories. “This relentless campaign inflicted deep emotional pain on me and my family. It destroyed our dignity at a time when we were also grieving,” Narain concluded.