SIT picks up first suspect in Zubeen Garg death probe; tracks other key figures

Guwahati, Sept 25: In a major development in the investigation into cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s death, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) picked up its first suspect on Thursday.

Musician and Garg’s bandmate, Shekharjyoti Goswami, was taken from his residence in Garigaon, Guwahati, marking a key step in the probe.

As part of the ongoing investigation, SIT teams also visited the residences of North East India Festival (NEIF) organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma.

While Mahanta remains untraceable, a video circulating online suggested that Sharma may have arrived at Guwahati airport around 11:30 pm on Tuesday, contradicting earlier rumours that he was in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dismissed claims that Mahanta and Sharma are in Guwahati.

"I don’t think the accused are in Guwahati. If they were here, they would have contacted the police either for protection or other reasons. The SIT team is tracking them, and as of now, they are not in the city," Sarma told the press.

The Chief Minister also spoke about Mahanta, who remains under the SIT’s radar.

"During the last parliamentary elections, every post by Mahanta was against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government. He messaged me many times, but I never replied. He knows my stance. I have never supported the misrepresentation of Assam’s culture in the name of promoting it. The Rongali and North East Festival he organises do not reflect the true culture of the state in any way," he said.

With Goswami’s detention and further questioning of key figures lined up, the investigation is expected to see more developments in the coming days.

The SIT is also likely to summon all 15 individuals who were with Zubeen during his final moments in Singapore.