Assam Information Commmission chairperson resigns weeks after brother's arrest in Zubeen Garg death case

Guwahati: More than a month after his younger brother was arrested in connection with alleged murder of superstar Zubeen Garg in Singapore, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, former director general of Assam Police and chairperson of State Information Commission, Assam resigned, citing moral ground.

Mahanta, who was appointed as the commission chairperson after his retirement as DGP in 2023, resigned on Wednesday, a day after an RTI application sought information about government funds released to his younger brother, Shyamkanu Mahanta. Shaymkanu was arrested on October 2 as an accused in the alleged murder of Garg in Singapore on September 19. 

Garg, 52, was in Singapore to attend the Northeast India Festival, organised by Shaymkanu. He died while swimming in a sea during a yacht party with his friends and associates. 

Bhaskar Jyoti said he submitted his resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Wednesday on "moral ground" after he received the RTI application on Tuesday (November 4).

Bhaskar Jyoti is the elder brother of Shyamkanu and his another brother, Nani Gopal Mahanta is the vice-chancellor of Gauhati University. Nani Gopal served as education advisor of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma before being appointed as the VC. 

Mahanta family has come under scrutiny of the Opposition parties and some local organisations, who suspected that Shyamkanu could be saved due to the family's closeness with the Chief Minister.

Shyamkanu was arrested after Garg's band mate Sekhar Jyoti Goswami alleged that Garg was poisoned by his manager Siddharth Sharma and Mahanta. Both were arrested on Ocotober 2. So far, five persons have been arrested in connection with the case while two of Garg's PSOs were arrested after more than Rs. one crore was detected in their bank accounts. All seven are in judicial custody. 

Bhaskar Jyoti's resignation came days after CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that no government fund was given to Shyamkanu for organising the festival. 

Opposition Asom Jatiya Parishad's leader, Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, however, questioned the delay in Bhaskar Jyoti's resignation and said he should have resigned immediately after murder charge was slapped on his brother.