Guwahati: As proceedings continue in a fast-track court in the case related to Assam’s iconic singer Zubeen Garg, the wife of one of the accused asserted on Wednesday that her husband has been wrongfully implicated and remains behind bars despite being innocent.
Anita Deka, wife of Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser of the Northeast Festival and an accused in the case, told reporters that the trial is currently underway and expressed confidence that the truth will emerge through the judicial process.
Maintaining her husband’s innocence, Deka alleged that Mahanta has been in jail for the past seven months without any fault. She claimed that an innocent person has been made to suffer and urged for a fair and just outcome.
“My husband is innocent. He has been in jail for seven months without any wrongdoing. We believe the court will deliver justice,” she said.
Deka further highlighted Mahanta’s contributions, stating that he has been actively working to promote Assam and showcase the culture of the Northeast on a larger platform.
She alleged that he had been falsely implicated in the case. The case pertains to the death of noted singer Zubeen Garg, who was scheduled to perform at the Northeast Festival in Singapore but tragically passed away on September 19 last year during a sea outing.
The matter is currently under judicial scrutiny, with the fast-track court hearing proceedings as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police, constituted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), filed a detailed chargesheet in a Guwahati court in December 2025 in the death case of singer Zubeen Garg.
The probe followed the mysterious death of Garg in Singapore on September 19, 2025, when he reportedly died while on a sea outing during a trip to attend the North East India Festival.
The charge sheet was described in some reports as a multi-thousand-page document, ranging from 3,500 to over 12,000 pages, based on extensive investigation and witness statements.
Seven people were named in the chargesheet filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Guwahati. Murder charges under sections of the law were framed against four of them, including the festival organiser, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, a band member, Shekharjyoti Goswami, and a co-singer, Amritprabha Mahanta.
Garg’s cousin, a suspended Assam Police officer, Sandipan Garg, was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The remaining accused, including Garg’s personal security officers, were named in the chargesheet for related offences, including criminal conspiracy and breach of trust.
The SIT’s chargesheet was based on extensive evidence-gathering, supported by witness testimony from more than 300 people, documentary evidence, and forensic findings presented to the court.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Court recently ruled out any foul play in Zubeen Garg’s death, and they argued that the singer died due to drowning.
(IANS)
