Zubeen Garg taken out to sea by Singapore-based friend despite objection

Guwahati: Amid mystery shrouding over the circumstances in which Zubeen Garg died on Friday, Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser of the Northeast Festival, on Sunday claimed that the iconic singer from Assam was taken out to the sea by his Singapore-based friend Tanmoy Phukan even as he objected to the plan.

Zubeen, the 52-year iconic singer, musician, actor and filmmaker, was in Singapore to take part in the festival. But he reportedly drowned while swimming in the sea at around 2pm (Indian time) on Friday, leaving Assam shell shocked.

In a statement, Mahanta, an Assam-based entrepreneur, said Tanmoy informed him over phone on September 18 that they were planning to take Zubeen out for a trip in Singapore. "I asked him not to take Zubeen out. I told him that Indian Embassy in Singapore has taken lead for the event and Zubeen was there as a cultural ambassador. Zubeen was supposed to be present in the opening event organised by Indian Embassy, Singapore on September 19 evening. Zubeen was also scheduled to perform on September 20 as part of the festival. Even on September 18 evening, when I met president of Assam Association Singapore, Abhimanyu Talukdar, i told him not to take Zubeen anywhere," Mahanta said in the statement.

The statement was issued at a time at least 54 FIRs were lodged against Mahanta and Zubeen's manager Siddharth Sharma. The FIRs questioned why Zubeen was taken to the sea despite having problem of seizures. Many even claimed that Zubeen was forcefully taken to Singapore to take part in the Northeast Festival.

Out in the sea:

Mahanta's statement said they were not aware about Zubeen's outing in the sea on September 19 morning as the entire team was busy in business meetings with Singaporean delegation and the entrepreneurs from the Northeast. "Indian ambassador in Singapore was also present in the meeting. We were not aware that Zubeen Garg had gone out with the Singapore-based Assamese as he was sleeping when we went out for the meeting venue. If we were aware, we would have stopped him from going out."

Mahanta said they later came to know that the yacht was hired by Zubeen's friend Tanmoy, who had taken him out to see Singapore after reaching the city on September 18. There were at least 12 Singapore-based Assamese in the yacht on that day. Zubeen's cousin Sandipan Garg, his manager Siddharth Sarma were also in the yacht. After going some distance in the sea, they stopped and started swimming. As informed by the team, Zubeen knew how to swim and the accident took place while swimming. As Zubeen became senseless, Sandipan and a coast guard took him to the hospital. While taking him to the hospital, Sandipan and the coast guard provided CPR support to bring Zubeen's breath back. But doctors could not save him despite trying hard in the hospital. The devastating incident happened," Mahanta said.

Mahanta also rejected the allegations that Zubeen was forcefully taken to Singapore saying he was part of the festival since the beginning in 2013. "He had visited Delhi 13 times, visited Mumbai and twice when we organised the festival in foreign soil."

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati told reporters on Sunday evening that the CID would club the FIRS and probe the cases. Mahanta and Sarma are also likely to be questioned by the CID, he said. Many of his fans, who gathered to pay their last tributes, questioned Mahanta and Sarma's role and demanded a swift inquiry.