The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police has added murder charges to the ongoing probe into the death of noted singer Zubeen Garg, who passed away in Singapore on September 19. The development was confirmed by Special Director General of Police (CID), Munna Prasad Gupta, on Thursday.

CID tightens probe, adds murder charge

Initially registered as a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and conspiracy, the FIR (CID PS Case No. 18/2025) has now been altered to include Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with murder. CID officials said the change followed interrogation of festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, both of whom were arrested in Delhi on Wednesday and brought to Guwahati.

Gupta said a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe every aspect of the case. “Since the incident occurred in Singapore, we requested their government to allow our investigation under a mutual treaty. The formalities are complete, and Singapore has asked us to wait a couple of days,” Gupta told reporters.

Fresh arrests deepen investigation

The CID on Thursday also arrested singer Amritprabha Mahanta and musician Shekhar Goswami, close associates of Zubeen Garg, after questioning them in Guwahati. Both had earlier been summoned on September 27. Officials said several more individuals linked to the late singer have been questioned as part of the widening investigation.

CID officials also recovered Zubeen’s personal handbag from his manager Siddhartha Sharma. The bag contained important documents and medicines, which have been seized and sent for forensic examination.

Autopsy reports awaited

Investigators are awaiting the results of a second autopsy conducted in India at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Viscera samples have been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi for testing. Gupta added that Singapore authorities will provide their official autopsy report and related documents directly to Garg’s family.

On October 1, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) stated that Zubeen died of drowning after swimming off St John’s Island, dismissing earlier speculation that he died while scuba diving. According to the SPF, Garg was aboard a yacht with over a dozen people and jumped into the sea twice, once with a life jacket and once without. He was pulled out unconscious and later declared dead at Singapore General Hospital.

Family awaits justice

Zubeen’s wife, Garima Garg, who filed a police complaint in Guwahati on September 27, said she is yet to receive a copy of the Singapore autopsy report. She has urged authorities to ensure a thorough and fair probe into the circumstances of her husband’s death.

The case has stirred emotions across Assam and the Northeast, where Zubeen Garg was celebrated not only as a singer but also as a cultural icon. With multiple arrests and the addition of murder charges, the investigation appears to be entering a more serious phase, though clarity will depend on the forensic reports and cooperation from Singaporean authorities.