Guwahati, 1 October (HS): In a major development in the Zubeen Garg death case, North East India Festival (NEIF) organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and the late singer’s manager Sidharth Sharma have been remanded to 14 days of Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Kamrup metropolis.

Both accused were brought under tight security from Guwahati airport to the CJM’s residence at Geetanagar’s Alpana Apartment on Wednesday morning, where they were formally produced. After the hearing, the court directed that they be handed over to the SIT for interrogation.

Police said Mahanta and Sharma were arrested immediately after landing from Singapore in Delhi and were later flown to Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport amid heavy police and CISF deployment. Their arrest and court production mark the first legal step in Assam in connection with the case.

Zubeen Garg had travelled to Singapore on September 19 to perform at an event organised by Mahanta, where he tragically drowned in the sea. His death triggered a wave of grief across Assam. Initially, the investigation was handed over to the CID, but later a Special Investigation Team was constituted to probe the case further.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash