GUWAHATI : Sandipan Garg, an Assam Police Service officer and cousin of the late singer Zubeen Garg, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police in connection with the music icon’s death.

Sandipan had been appearing before investigators at the office of the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Assam, every day for the last five days. He was arrested shortly after he arrived at the CID office on Wednesday at around 10:30 a.m.

CID sources said the agency would produce him before a court and seek 14 days’ custody. Sandipan, who serves as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), was allegedly on the yacht when Zubeen died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on 19 September. This was reportedly Sandipan’s first trip abroad.

So far, five persons have been arrested in connection with the case. The four others taken into custody are the organiser of the 4th North East India Festival in Singapore, Shyamkanu Mahanta; Zubeen’s manager, Siddharth Sharma; his bandmate, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami; and singer Amrit Prabha Mahanta. Zubeen had travelled to Singapore to attend the festival.

Meanwhile, Rupkamal Kalita, an NRI and member of the Assam Association Singapore, deposed before the CID for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. He was grilled for six hours on Tuesday.

Kalita was allegedly on the yacht in Singapore on that fateful day when Zubeen died. Seven other Singapore-based Assamese witnesses have not yet responded to the CID’s summons.

The Assam Police will issue fresh summons to seven members of the Assam Association Singapore in connection with the mysterious death of singer-actor Zubeen Garg, as they failed to appear before the investigating agency within the stipulated deadline, a senior officer said on Wednesday.

CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta said that out of the eight Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who were issued notices earlier, only one — Rupkamal Kalita — has appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for questioning. The others did not respond by the October 6 deadline.

“We are going to issue fresh summons to all of them who have not come yet. We will move ahead as per the legal processes,” Gupta told reporters in Guwahati.

Gupta confirmed that Kalita, who appeared at the CID headquarters on Tuesday, has been under interrogation for over 24 hours. “We are in touch with the NRIs in question. Since they are stationed abroad, certain legal frameworks are involved, and we are communicating through the proper channels. We hope they will cooperate and join the investigation soon,” he added.

Commenting on the arrest of DSP Sandipan Garg earlier on Wednesday, Gupta said, “I will only say that he has been arrested, and the investigation is going on. Beyond that, I cannot disclose anything much on the nature of his arrest.”

Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea. He had travelled to the Southeast Asian nation to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival. A yacht was reportedly booked by a few office bearers of the Assam Association Singapore, who were present when Garg allegedly drowned.

The SIT, probing the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death, has intensified its investigation and is expected to question more individuals linked to the association in the coming days.

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