Protest in Guwahati seeking action against news channel owner in Zubeen Garg's death

Guwahati: Hundreds of fans of singer Zubeen Garg on Wednesday protested in front of a private TV channel, whose owner had gone to Singapore to attend the Northeast India Festival, and demanded his immediate arrest.

The protest took place when Sanjive Narain, the Chairman and MD of Prag News, was addressing a press meet at his office to clarify his role in the entire incident leading to the death of Garg last week.

Garg died on September 19 while swimming in the sea in Singapore, where he had gone to attend the Northeast India Festival. The popular singer was cremated on the outskirts of Guwahati with full state honours on Tuesday.

An FIR was already filed at Bongaigaon Police Station against Narain for his alleged role in the episode. It has been forwarded to the CID headquarters for further investigation.

Narain claimed that he was not present on the private yacht, in which the singer had gone with some Assamese NRIs to an island in Singapore, and he had taken Garg to a hospital from the harbour.

"I had no idea about the yacht tour. I was having lunch when I received a phone call from Shyamkanu Mahanta that Zubeen had met with an accident. I rushed to the harbour and immediately took him to the hospital," he added.

Mahanta was the chief organiser of the festival, which was cancelled following the tragedy.

The news channel owner also claimed that other people present in the yacht were not allowed to leave except Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma by the police for their probe.

Narain also blamed the administration in Guwahati for not allowing him to visit the mortal remains of Garg before it was cremated, citing possible "security issues as people were emotional and agitated".

While he was holding the press meet at his office in Ulubari in the state capital, scores of fans of Garg gathered outside and protested.

"He is an accused in a criminal case. How can he address a press meet? Why has the police not detained or interrogated him even once? We will not accept any leniency in this case. It's about Zubeen da," one of the agitators said.

Another protestor, who identified himself as a member of the Zubeen Garg Fan Club, demanded immediate arrest of Narain before "he tampers" with the evidence.

"Why is the police not acting against him yet? He is one of the key people present during the entire duration of Zubeen's death. Is there anything else that we are not seeing?" he asked.

It is to be noted that the press meet was initially scheduled to take place at Gauhati Press Club, but it was rescheduled at the eleventh hour, and Narain said police did not give him permission for the presser.

Earlier in the day, the Assam government banned Shyamkanu Mahanta from holding any function or event in the state.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government will also not provide any financial grant, advertisement or sponsorship to any event with which Mahanta is associated, either directly or indirectly.

"The state government will also request the Centre not to extend any financial assistance or sponsorship to him in any manner," the CM said.

More than 60 police complaints have been lodged across the state against Mahanta and others for their alleged role in the untimely demise of Garg, whose cause of death has been stated as 'drowning' in the death certificate from Singapore General Hospital.

Mahanta is the younger brother of former DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, who is presently the Chief Information Commissioner of the Assam State Information Commission. Another elder brother of his is Nani Gopal Mahanta, who was the Education Advisor to the CM before becoming the Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University.