Mugdha Das

Zubeen Garg death case: Shyamkanu Mahanta seeks CBI or NIA probe into case

Digital Desk: Shyamkanu Mahanta, organiser of the Northeast India Festival, has approached the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the investigation into singer Zubeen Garg’s death from the Assam police’s CID to a central agency such as the CBI or NIA.

Mahanta, who was arrested by Assam Police on October 1 in connection with the case, has requested that a retired Supreme Court judge be appointed to monitor the probe to ensure impartiality.

In his petition, he alleged that the ongoing inquiry by the special investigation team or SIT constituted by the Assam government had been compromised by political influence and public commentary.

The plea states that Mahanta is being subjected to a well-calculated witch-hunt, claiming that false narratives were being circulated in the media to malign him.

He further alleged that senior state officials had made derogatory and damaging remarks against him on their official social media accounts while the investigation was underway, which, he argued, could prejudice the probe.

Mahanta, arrested alongside singer Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and charged with murder, also told the court that he has been facing serious threats to his life due to intense public anger and media outrage surrounding the case.

In addition to calling for an independent investigation, his petition urged the apex court to direct authorities to preserve all crucial evidence, including post-mortem reports and documents obtained from Singapore, where Zubeen Garg had undergone medical treatment prior to his demise.

Reiterating his long-standing friendship with the late singer, Shyamkanu Mahanta described Zubeen Garg as a very dear and personal friend and dismissed the allegations against him as ludicrous.

The petition names the government of India, the Assam government, the Assam DGP, the CBI, and the NIA as respondents.