Guwahati: The investigation into the mysterious death of celebrated singer Zubeen Garg took a new turn on Friday, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arresting his two personal security officers (PSOs) over alleged financial irregularities amounting to more than ₹1.1 crore.
The PSOs, identified as Nandeshwar Bora and Paresh Baishya, were arrested after four consecutive days of questioning by the SIT. Both had been suspended earlier on October 7 when irregular financial transactions first came to light.
Following their arrest, the duo was produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Kamrup (Metro), which remanded them to five days of SIT custody for further interrogation.
According to preliminary findings, investigators discovered that approximately ₹70 lakh was transferred through Bora’s account and around ₹40 lakh through Baishya’s. The transactions, reportedly made via digital payment platforms, are now being examined to determine whether the funds were linked to Zubeen Garg’s personal or professional activities.
CID officials said the probe was launched after complaints of serious monetary mismanagement involving the duo surfaced, prompting a financial audit of accounts connected to the late artist.
Sources close to the investigation said the SIT has gathered “substantial documentary evidence” suggesting the two PSOs handled significant amounts of money without formal authorization.
Garima Saikia Garg, the singer’s wife, said the money was intended for Zubeen’s social welfare and charitable projects. She maintained that the PSOs had kept detailed financial records — including bank statements and a transaction diary — which have been handed over to investigators.
“Zubeen believed in helping people quietly. Every rupee spent or received was documented. We are cooperating fully with the authorities,” Garima said.
The arrests of Bora and Baishya come just two days after the SIT took Assam Police Service (APS) officer Sandipan Garg — Zubeen’s cousin — into custody on October 8 for questioning in the same case.
Earlier, four others — Zubeen’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, bandmate Shekharjyoti Goswami, singer Amritprava Mahanta, and North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta — were also arrested and remain under investigation.
The arrests bring the total number of people detained in connection with the case to six, as the SIT continues to probe possible financial and circumstantial links surrounding the singer’s untimely death.
Zubeen Garg had recently travelled to Singapore to perform at the North East India Festival before his sudden passing shocked fans across the country.
As investigators follow the money trail, the emotional weight of the case continues to linger — not only as a legal inquiry but as a search for answers about the final chapter of a man whose music defined an era in Assamese culture.
