Guwahati, Oct 3: Shyamkanu Mahanta, the prime accused in the death case of Assam’s iconic singer Zubeen Garg, had approached the Supreme Court just days before his arrest.
On September 30, Mahanta filed a petition from Singapore through his counsel, advocate Raj Kamal, naming the Government of India, the Assam government, DGP Assam, CBI, and NIA as respondents. The plea sought protection from arrest, arguing that he was being falsely implicated.
In his petition, Mahanta claimed that digital platforms had spun a “false narrative” linking him to Garg’s death, despite his role in Singapore being limited to organizing a cultural festival. He also stated that he last met the singer two days before the incident.
The petition further alleged that he was subjected to “unprecedented harassment” in the aftermath of Garg’s death—over 54 FIRs filed across Assam and neighboring states, repeated raids at his Guwahati residence, freezing of bank accounts, and life threats through social media and emails containing messages like: “Come home and we will burn you alive” and “If you step foot in Assam, we will murder you.”
On October 1, Mahanta was arrested by Assam Police shortly after landing in New Delhi, effectively shifting the legal battle from pre-arrest relief to regular proceedings before lower courts.
Political reactions have already surfaced. Taking to X, BJP Assam Pradesh wrote: “One of the prime accused in #BelovedZubeen’s death has hired a Congress bootlicker as his lawyer. Should we even be surprised? This is Paaijaan’s shameless way of saving his darling ‘Kanu’.”
Alongside Mahanta, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also arrested Siddhartha Sharma, Garg’s manager, from Rajasthan. Both Mahanta, the chief organiser of the Northeast Festival, and Sharma are booked under Sections 61(2), 105, and 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, in connection with the case.
Investigations into Zubeen Garg’s untimely death are underway, with authorities probing multiple individuals allegedly linked to the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Four people have already been arrested.
