Singer Zubeen Garg along with his cousin Sandipan.
Credit: Instagram/@sandipan_garg_aps
Guwahati: A cousin of singer Zubeen Garg, Sandipan, who is a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), was arrested by the SIT of Assam CID following questioning on Wednesday morning.
This was the fifth arrest in connection with the sudden death of the star singer, musician on September 19---an incident that triggered uproar and anger on the streets of Assam. Zubeen's fans, who had gathered to pay their last tributes, have intensified demands for swift and proper investigation to ascertain the reasons leading to the iconic singer's death.
Sandipan, who studied civil engineering, cracked Assam Police Service examination in 2021 and was posted at Boko in Kamrup district. He was with Garg in the yacht during a party on sea in Singapore, when he died while swimming with his friends and associates.
The nine-member SIT probing into the circumstances leading to Zubeen's sudden death, questioned Sandipan earlier too. Sources said Sandipan, who also also had interest in music, was arrested following inconsistencies in his statement. He was remained to seven days custody of the SIT.
Sandipan was arrested a day after Rup Kamal Kalita, an Assamese NRI based in Singapore, deposed before the SIT. Seven other NRIs, who were also summoned by the SIT, are yet to join the investigation.
Police earlier arrested Zubeen's manager Siddharth Sharma, Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, and two of Garg's band members, musician Sekhar Jyoti Goswami and a young singer Amritprabha Mahanta.
Zubeen's wife Garima on Tuesday reiterated her demand to identity the reasons leading to his death. She wanted to know why Zubeen was taken to the sea even as doctors had advised him to stay away from water and fire as he had problem of seizures in the past. Garima questioned why his manager and friends did not stop him despite knowing his health condition.
Interestingly, Sekhar, during interrogation alleged before the SIT that Siddharth and Shyamkanu poisoned Garg in Singapore.