In a dramatic twist to the probe into the death of Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg, his bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami has alleged that the singer’s manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta may have poisoned him and tried to pass off his death as accidental.

According to statements recorded under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Goswami told investigators that Sharma behaved suspiciously in the hours before Garg’s death in Singapore. Sharma, named in the FIR, faces serious non-bailable charges including criminal conspiracy, murder, and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Goswami claimed that during the yacht trip where the incident occurred, Sharma took control of the vessel and later stopped others from arranging drinks, saying he would provide them himself. He further alleged that when Garg began gasping for breath, Sharma was heard saying, “Let him go.”

The bandmate said Garg was an experienced swimmer and could not have drowned accidentally. He accused Sharma and Mahanta of poisoning the artist and choosing Singapore as the venue to cover up the act.

Both Sharma and Mahanta have denied the allegations during police interrogation.

Assam Police sources said evidence, including documents and financial records, indicates Sharma’s possible involvement. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department are also likely to join the probe into suspected financial crimes linked to Mahanta, who is additionally under CID investigation for alleged irregularities during his previous job at a non-banking financial company.

Source: NDTV