Jubin Garg Death Case: Bandmate Accuses Manager & Festival Organizer of Poisoning, Claims Death Was Staged as Accident

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Singer Zubeen Garg’s bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami has accused manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahant of poisoning the singer and conspiring to portray his death as an accident.

As per witness testimonies registered under the Indian Civil Protection Code (BNSS), Goswami stated that Sharma was staying with them at the Pan Pacific Hotel and exhibited suspicious behavior before Zubeen’s death.

Goswami claimed Sharma forcibly took control of the boat, causing it to sway dangerously in the sea, endangering all passengers. He also alleged that Sharma instructed Tanmoy Fukun, a member of the Assam Association (Singapore) and an NRI, not to arrange drinks, taking responsibility for distributing them himself.

‘Zubeen Knew How to Swim, Death Wasn’t Due to Drowning’

Goswami further revealed in his statement that when Zubeen was struggling to breathe and nearly drowning, Sharma was heard shouting, “Jabo de, jabo de” (“Let go, let go”).

He emphasized that Zubeen was a proficient swimmer and had even taught Sharma to swim, ruling out accidental drowning as the cause of death.

Goswami accused Sharma and Mahant of poisoning the singer and choosing Singapore as the location to conceal the conspiracy. He added that Sharma instructed him not to share any yacht videos with others.

Meanwhile, the Assam government will form a judicial commission to investigate Zubeen Garg’s death.

Assam Govt to Form Commission for Zubeen Death Probe

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Friday that Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Guwahati High Court will head the commission.

He appealed, “We will constitute the commission tomorrow. We urge anyone with information or videos related to Zubeen Garg’s death to come forward and testify before the panel.”

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (I-T) Department will collaborate with Assam Police to investigate alleged financial crimes and benami property purchases by event manager Shyamkanu Mahant, an accused in Zubeen’s death.

Singapore Police handed Zubeen’s postmortem report to the Indian High Commission yesterday.

Previously, Assam Police arrested composer Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amritparabha Mahant on Thursday in connection with the case. Both were part of Zubeen’s music team and present in Singapore during the incident.

A police officer cited by PTI stated, “We found evidence against them, necessitating their arrest for further investigation.”

Media reports claim Goswami and Mahant were with Zubeen at a yacht party in Singapore on September 19. SIT sources allege Goswami was seen swimming close to Garg, while Amritparabha recorded the incident on her phone.

Composer Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amritparabha Mahant are artists from Assam. They were close associates of Zubeen Garg.

Manager Among Two Previously Arrested

Earlier, Assam Police arrested Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma and Northeast India Festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahant. Both were brought from Delhi to Guwahati on October 1.

CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta confirmed the court remanded them to 14-day police custody. Section 103 of BNS (punishable by death or life imprisonment) was added to the FIR, alongside charges of attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, and negligence.

SIT Registers Over 60 FIRs So Far

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has registered over 60 FIRs against 10 individuals statewide in connection with Zubeen’s death.

Gupta noted Singapore’s postmortem report will be shared with the family as per protocol. Viscera samples were sent to Delhi’s Central Forensic Lab for analysis.

SIT to Visit Singapore for Probe

A nine-member SIT will travel to Singapore to gather evidence pending permissions. India has invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) for cooperation.

Zubeen’s family filed a complaint against Sharma and Mahant. Uncle Manoj Borothakur, a senior journalist, stated, “We’ve requested CID to investigate the accused.”

Zubeen’s uncle Manoj Borothakur is a senior journalist.

Zubeen Garg Died in Singapore; Wife Claims Seizure

Zubeen Garg died on September 19 while attending the Northeast India Festival in Singapore. Initial reports suggested a scuba diving accident, but wife Garima Saikia told The Times of India he suffered a seizure during a yacht excursion with 7-8 companions, including drummer Shekhar and Sharma.

Garima revealed Zubeen had prior seizures, including one in Singapore where friends rushed him to ICU, saving his life.

Allegedly, this video of singer Zubeen Garg was recorded just before the accident.

Zubeen Sang Over 38,000 Songs

Born on November 18, 1972, in Assam’s Tinsukia, Zubeen worked as a singer, composer, lyricist, actor, and director in Assamese and Hindi cinema. He sang in 40 languages/dialects, including Bishnupriya Manipuri, Bodo, and Sanskrit. Assam’s highest-paid singer, he also dedicated 70% of his earnings to charity, including a home for cancer patients.