The Assam government on Wednesday prohibited event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, and any organisation associated with him, from holding any functions in the state amid rising demand for a thorough probe into the death of singer-composer Zubeen Garg in Singapore.
The decision was announced by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against Mahanta, the organiser of the North East Festival in Singapore, where the deceased singer was to perform.
The barring of Mahanta was announced amid protests and demands seeking a thorough investigation into the untimely demise of the singer, who was cremated on Tuesday afternoon with full state honours at Sonapur.
In a post on X, Sarma also stated that the state government “will not provide any financial grant, advertisement, or sponsorship to any event with which he is associated, either directly or indirectly”.
The Assam government will also request the Centre not to extend any financial assistance or sponsorship to him in any manner, Sarma added.
The decision follows the registration of a “consolidated case” on Saturday against Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma, the singer-composer’s
manager.
The police registered the case under BNS sections dealing with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and causing death by negligence.
A protest was organised by the Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti in Sivasagar town, demanding justice for Zubeen and the arrest of those responsible for his demise.
Call for CBI probe
Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, on Wednesday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, appealing “for a CBI probe led by a High Court judge to aid the Assam CID in investigating the sudden demise of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg”.