Willful Intoxication, Delayed Medical Help: Revelations In Zubeen Death Case

The chargesheet filed in the investigation into the death of singer Zubeen Garg has listed some extremely sensitive accusations against the seven accused, who have been charged with murder. The chargesheet was filed on December 12 by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Crime Investigation Department (CID) at the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Guwahati.

According to SIT sources, their assertion in the chargesheet that Zubeen's death was a planned murder is based on evidence like the wilful intoxication of the singer by the accused, instigating him to jump into water despite medical advice to keep him away from water, not attempting to save him from drowning, and arranging medical assistance late, as the ambulance arrived 75 minutes after the incident on September 19.

'Cause Of Death Is Murder'

Zubeen was in Singapore to attend the North East India Festival. Before the festival began, he went for a yacht outing, along with a dozen NRIs (Non-Resident Indians), and lost consciousness while swimming. He was declared dead at the Singapore General Hospital. The death certificate issued by Singapore authorities stated that the cause of death was drowning, while the SIT in its probe has found that he was highly intoxicated at the time.

READ: Zubeen's Death "Plain and Simple Murder"': Assam Chief Minister In Assembly

The sources said that the singer's manager, Siddharth Sharma, who is the main accused in this case, had "caused the state of intoxication" which impaired Zubeen's coordination and reflexes and "caused him to swim without a life jacket", that too against the medical opinion of his doctor, who had advised him to stay away from water and fire.

Zubeen Had History Of Epilepsy

The chargesheet also said that Zubeen had a history of epilepsy, with accounts from Dr Hitesh Barua, his family doctor, who has "briefed" Sharma of the condition. No medical fitness certificate was taken from Dr Barua before Zubeen travelled to Singapore, according to the chargesheet.

The singer had been advised to be kept away from fire and water. The SIT points out that Sharma was accused of making plans to retire Zubeen and make financial gains out of him.

Amritprava Mahanta, the singer who accompanied Zubeen to Singapore, was accused of being in the same room as the victim the night before his death. Mahanta caused an excessive drinking of alcohol for the victim. The chargesheet said that Mahanta did not inform Zubeen's manager or his wife that he was inebriated and food-deprived and sleep-deprived.

The woman has also been accused of encouraging Zubeen to swim without a life jacket. The chargesheet highlights the viral videos of the incident, where the SIT accused Mahanta of capturing the videos of the incident till Zubeen was about to drown but not informing the yacht captain of the situation despite being near to him.

Zubeen Given Alcohol Against Medical Advice

The festival's organiser, Shyamkanu Mahanta, was accused of giving Zubeen a bottle of whisky "against medical advice" despite knowing about his medical condition.

Shyamkanu did not inform the organisers of the yacht party about Zubeen's medical condition despite meeting the singer's team. Very significantly, the festival organiser did not make medical arrangements after Zubeen was drowning since the ambulance arrived 75 minutes after the incident. The chargesheet claimed that the "golden hour" to save Zubeen was missed by Shyamkanu's ignorance.

Another accused in the case is Zubeen's long-time bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, who is accused of instigating the singer to go into the water and not saving him despite being near him. Goswami has also been accused of causing bodily injury to the victim.

Garg's cousin and suspended police officer Sandipan Garg had been accused of "instigating Shekhar and therefore the victim to go into the water to swim a long distance to the beach" and "jumping in late to save the victim", it is learnt.

He has also been accused of jumping in water to save Zubeen late, only after the Assamese NRIs in the yacht made a hue and cry.

The two other accused are police personnel who served as Zubeen's Personal Security Officers (PSOs), Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, but had not accompanied him to Singapore. They have been charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.