Zubeen Garg Death Probe Fallout: Assam CIC Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta Quits Amid Brother Shyamkanu Mahanta's Arrest

Assam Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, whose brother Shyamkanu Mahanta has been arrested in the death case of singer Zubeen Garg, resigned from his post on Thursday after an RTI

query sought details of government funds given to his brother.Mahanta, a former Assam Director General of Police (DGP), announced his decision in a Facebook post, saying he had already submitted his resignation to the Governor.

‘My conscience told me to step down’

In his post, Mahanta said he decided to quit to maintain public trust and transparency.“You all know that my brother Shyamkanu Mahanta has been linked to the recent death of everyone’s beloved artiste Zubeen Garg,” he wrote. “My conscience was telling me that if someone applies for any information about my brother, I should resign from my responsibilities to avoid any doubts or suspicions in people’s minds," he added. He added that he had earlier informed the Chief Minister’s Office about his decision.Mahanta, who took charge as CIC on April 5, 2023, said an RTI applicant recently sought information about funds allocated by the government to various cultural institutions, including those linked to his brother.“The petitioner also wrote to me personally, saying he trusted my honesty and transparency. Since the information sought included that of my brother, I thought it best to step aside,” he said.Mahanta added that he would have ensured “accurate and transparent” disclosure even if he continued in office, but chose to resign to prevent any “shadow of doubt.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAMv-PKaOPM&t=1s

Zubeen Garg’s death and investigation

Singer-actor Zubeen Garg died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea. He was in the city-state to attend the fourth edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).Shyamkanu Mahanta, the chief organiser of the festival, was later arrested along with six others, including Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and two band members, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta.Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that Garg was murdered in Singapore, even as investigations continue.Subsequently, Garg’s cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, along with the singer’s personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya, were also arrested. Police reportedly found financial transactions worth over Rs 1.1 crore linked to the accused.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc3pWEVB5Lc

Multiple probes underway

All seven accused are in judicial custody and face charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police is probing the case after more than 60 FIRs were filed across the state.The Assam government has also constituted a one-man judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to investigate Garg’s death.Meanwhile, the Singapore Police Force is conducting a parallel inquiry into the incident.