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Police have lathi-charged protesters in Assam’s Baksa district, where five accused in the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg are being transferred. The protesters are angry over his being transferred to Baksa Jail in Musalpur.
Locals suspect that the choice of this relatively low-profile facility, which did not previously house prisoners, was intended to protect the accused from widespread public scrutiny and potential backlash. Baksa is about 100 km from the state capital Guwahati.
Those arrested so far include North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organizer Shyamkanu Mahant, Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma, his cousin and police officer Sandipan Garg and his personal security officers (PSOs) Nandeshwar Bora and Prabeen Baishya.
The transfer has also fueled speculation of political interference, increasing anti-government sentiments in the area. Although the protest has not turned completely violent yet
Singer-filmmaker and a youth icon, Zubeen Garg died in a swimming accident in Singapore on September 19, 2025. The Special Investigation Team is interrogating members of the Assamese community in Singapore.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier in the month asked local Assamese to put pressure on those who were on the boat at the time of the singer’s death to cooperate in the investigation.