Journalism of Courage

Convoy taking accused in Zubeen Garg case to newly opened prison pelted with stones

Assam government decided to send them to Baksa District Jail, which was inaugurated in June and does not have other prisoners, after the court expressed concern for their safety

Written by Sukrita Baruah
Guwahati | Updated: October 15, 2025 04:41 PM IST

3 min read

After their arrests, all five had been remanded to police custody, where they had been questioned by the SIT constituted to investigate the case

Chaos broke out in Assam’s Baksa with a mob pelting stones at a convoy carrying five of the people arrested in connection with singer Zubeen Garg’s death. The convoy was taking them to the Baksa District Jail on Wednesday afternoon after a local court in Guwahati remanded them to judicial custody.

The five include two who have been named as the prime accused in the case: Northeast India Festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, who had both been arrested on October 1.

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The other three were Garg’s cousin, Assam Police Service Officer Sandipan Garg – who had accompanied him to Singapore and was with him on the yacht outing during which died, and who had been arrested on October 8 – and the two Personal Security Officers who had been attached to Garg – Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya – who had been arrested on October 10.

After their arrests, all five had been remanded to police custody, where they had been questioned by the SIT constituted to investigate the case. On Wednesday, the police custody ended for all five, and they were produced before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate.

“After the completion of 14 days of police custody, they were produced before the court, which ordered that they be sent to judicial custody,” said advocate Pradip Konwar, who appeared for the Assam government. He stated that the five had not been represented by any lawyers.

Those allegedly involved in the death of late singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore brought to the CJM Court for hearing, in Guwahti, Assam, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (PTI Photo)

The Assam government decided to send them to the new Baksa District Jail, which had only been inaugurated in June this year and does not have other prisoners, after the court reportedly expressed concern for their safety.

The decision to lodge them in the Baksa jail resulted in protests in the area, with locals gathering outside the prison complex. Visuals from Baksa show the angry protesters chasing and pelting stones as the convoy carrying the five entered the prison gates on Wednesday afternoon.

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Two others arrested in connection with this case – Garg’s co-musicians Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta – will remain in police custody till October 17.

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