Zubeen Garg Case: Festival Organizer Moves Supreme Court, Seeks Central Probe and Protection from Multiple FIRs

 

Shyam Kanu Mahanta, the organiser of the cultural festival where late singer Zubeen Garg was scheduled to perform in Singapore, has approached the Supreme Court seeking protection from numerous First Information Reports registered against him across Assam and other northeastern states. Mahanta has also requested the court’s intervention against the alleged media trial, claiming that he has been unfairly portrayed as being linked to the singer’s death, which has led to widespread public hostility.

 

In his petition, Mahanta has urged that the investigation be handed over to an independent agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He has further sought the appointment of a retired judge to oversee and supervise the probe.

 

The singer, who hailed from Assam, tragically lost his life in Singapore in what was initially reported as a drowning accident while attending the North-East Festival. Following his death, the Assam Police detained his manager along with Mahanta on charges including criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and death by negligence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is currently handling the matter.

 

According to the writ petition filed on September 30 by Advocate-on-Record Raj Kamal, Mahanta stated that he has become a victim of a calculated campaign, with several media outlets allegedly spreading misleading information suggesting his involvement in Garg’s death.

 

The petition mentions that more than fifty-four FIRs have been filed, as per media accounts, across Assam and neighboring states. It also points out that certain officials from the Assam government have issued remarks that, according to Mahanta, have fueled a false public perception against him. The petition further notes that Zubeen Garg had travelled to Singapore with his team, relatives, and friends and had gone on a leisure yacht trip to an island, where the unfortunate incident took place on September 19, 2025.

 

Mahanta has claimed that he was not present at the site of the incident, as he was occupied with organizing the festival. He said that his last meeting with Garg occurred on September 17, two days prior to the tragedy.

 

The plea requests the Supreme Court to direct all media platforms, including print and digital outlets, to avoid publishing or broadcasting any prejudiced or speculative content concerning the matter. Mahanta also emphasized that the Singaporean authorities, after their own investigation, found no evidence of foul play in the singer’s death.

 

Among the key reliefs sought in the petition are the following:

 

1. Consolidation and transfer of all ongoing investigations, including the SIT probe in CID PS Case No. 18 of 2025 under Sections 61(2), 105, and 106(1) of the BNS, 2023, and any related FIRs in Assam or other northeastern states, to either the NIA or CBI, under the supervision of a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

 

 

2. A restraining order preventing the State of Assam and its police officials from detaining Mahanta or using coercive actions against him or his family members, to ensure their safety and liberty.

 

 

3. Provision of security for Mahanta and his family in view of public anger and media pressure, along with permission to appear before NIA or CBI officials in New Delhi for cooperation with the investigation.

 

 

4. Direction to the Assam government to present the post-mortem report, other medical documents, and the findings of Singaporean authorities (forwarded by the Indian High Commission) in a sealed cover before the court.

 

 

5. An order prohibiting the registration of further FIRs or complaints related to the same cause of action without the Supreme Court’s approval.

 

 

6. Instructions for the Assam Police to unseal Mahanta’s residence and lift the freeze on his and his family’s bank accounts.

 

 

7. A directive to all forms of media—print, digital, and social—to refrain from publishing unverified or inflammatory material until the investigation concludes.

 

 

8. A request for the Union Government to obtain a status report on the case from Singaporean authorities.