Guwahati: In a dramatic turn in the investigation into singer Zubeen Garg’s death, Assam Police Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sandipan Garg, who is also the late singer’s cousin, has been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Garg was taken into custody after hours of questioning and was produced before a Kamrup court, which remanded him to seven days of police custody. The SIT had sought 14 days’ remand for further interrogation.
Sandipan Garg was reportedly present on the Singapore yacht from which the 52-year-old singer went missing before being found dead in September. His arrest marks the fifth in the case, following those of Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma, event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, and singer Amritprava Mahanta. All have been charged under sections related to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.
According to reports, the SIT has widened its probe into the case, examining money trails, phone records and communications linked to the yacht party and the events leading up to Garg’s death. Investigators have reportedly detected significant financial transactions, including a ₹1-crore transfer to accounts associated with two of Zubeen’s personal security officers.
The Assam government has also ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident, to be led by a sitting or retired High Court judge, to ensure an independent and transparent investigation.
Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most celebrated singers and cultural icons, died on September 19, 2025, during a private yacht outing in Singapore, where he had travelled to perform at the North East India Festival. Initial reports suggested he drowned after going for a swim without a life jacket. However, subsequent forensic findings and eyewitness accounts have raised doubts about the sequence of events, prompting authorities to suspect foul play.
The case took a further twist after Zubeen’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, questioned the handling of the investigation and claimed that there were discrepancies in the autopsy conducted in Singapore. Her appeal for a deeper probe led to mounting public pressure, resulting in the formation of the SIT and now the judicial inquiry.
With the arrest of Sandipan Garg — a police officer and close family member — the case has reached a critical phase. Investigators are expected to focus on inconsistencies in witness statements and examine whether there was a cover-up. The arrest has sent shockwaves through Assam’s police and entertainment circles, as fans and the public await clarity in one of the state’s most sensational cases in recent years.
