Page 3 - Assam

Zubeen Garg's associate Arun appears before CID in singer's death probe

Zubeen Garg's close associate Arun on Sunday appeared before CID's Special Investigating Team (SIT) which is probing the singer-composer's death in Singapore last month, officials said. They, however, did not divulge details of Arun's visit to the CID office here. Arun, whom Garg considered as family and was among the four persons who had lit his funeral pyre, demanded speedy justice for the deceased icon while talking to reporters later. The youth had been with Zubeen's family for several years and had even forsaken his family surname and identified himself as 'Arun Garg'. "We want justice for Dada (elder brother). There has been so much delay," Arun said. Asked about the alleged financial and other irregularities committed by other close associates of Garg, Arun said, "I don't know of all those things. I work mainly with 'Bou' (sister-in-law, referring to Garg's wife Garima)." "The only thing I know is that we need justice. Why is it taking so much time?" he questioned. On ...

Assam Police yet to hear from Singapore for info on Zubeen Garg's death

Assam Police were yet to hear from Singaporean authorities on their request for information regarding cultural icon Zubeen Garg's death in the Southeast Asian nation while swimming in the sea last month, a senior officer said here on Saturday. The state police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the death of the singer-composer, has issued summons for the second time to Singapore residents hailing from Assam who were present with Garg during his last moments to appear before it and record their statements, he said. "The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with Singapore has been invoked, seeking help in the case. We have written to them for the help we need, like CCTV footage, etc. The request has been sent through the Ministry of Home Affairs to the authorities there," CID SDGP Munna Prasad Gupta said in a press conference here. He said the request was sent immediately after the investigation was launched here. "In Singapore, the attorney general's office

Dual structure in tea industry has to be viable: Assam chief secretary

The existing dual structure in the tea industry - the presence of small and large organised growers - has to be viable for long-term sustenance, Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said. Assam, the largest tea-producing state in India, contributes nearly half of the country's annual crop. "The dual structure, the presence of large organised players and small tea growers (STGs), has to be viable and they must coexist without undercutting each other", Kota said at the annual general meeting of the Indian Tea Association (ITA) here on Thursday evening. He said the large organised sector has to fulfil certain welfare obligations under the Plantation Act, which the STGs do not have to follow suit. "Both the segments have to be viable and stay put in the country", he said. STGs contribute to more than 50 per cent of India's tea production annually. Kota also called for the need for a minimum sustainable price for tea, and said a model should be chalked out which is fair. In the case of te

Assam govt announces results for 7,650 Grade III recruitment posts

Results of 7,650 Grade III posts in Assam government were declared on Friday, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claiming that nearly two lakh appointments are being given under his regime. Along with the results of the Grade III posts for 50 departments conducted under Assam Direct Recruitment Examinations (ADRE), selection list for more than 600 posts was also declared separately. "Once again, we have delivered on our promise of clean, transparent, and merit-based recruitment. With the declaration of ADRE and other results today, Assam stands tall setting a new benchmark for honesty, fairness, and opportunity in public appointments," Sarma said in a post on X. "We have also set a new record delivering more than what we promised," he said, adding that, "We had pledged 1 lakh appointments, and today we are well on our way to achieving nearly 2 lakh appointments a true testament to our commitment to the youth of Assam." The future of the young generation is secure, and their

Zubeen Garg's 2 personal security officers held in singer's death case

Two personal security officers (PSOs) of Zubeen Garg were arrested on Friday in connection with the singer's death in Singapore last month, an official said. Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, deputed by the government as part of Garg's security detail, were suspended by the Assam Police on Tuesday after multiple rounds of questioning, he said. Financial transactions running into several lakhs of rupees were done through their bank accounts, raising suspicion, he added. With this, a total of seven people have been arrested in connection with Garg's death. Earlier, North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's cousin Sandipan Garg, his manager Siddhartha Sharma, musician Shekharjyoti Goswami and singer Amritprava Mahanta were arrested. Garg, a cultural icon for the state's people, died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19. He had gone to the Southeast Asian nation to participate in the North East India Festival.

Senior Assam BJP leader Rajen Gohain, 17 members resign from party

Former Union minister and four-time BJP MP Rajen Gohain from Assam's Nagaon parliamentary constituency resigned from the party along with 17 other members on Thursday, officials said. In a letter to state BJP president Dilip Saikia, Gohain said he was resigning from the primary membership of the party and stepping down from all party responsibilities with immediate effect. Seventeen other BJP members, mostly from Upper and Central Assam, also submitted their resignations to Saikia, sources said. Speaking to PTI, Gohain said he resigned as the party had failed "to fulfil the promises made to the people of Assam and betrayed the indigenous communities by allowing outsiders to settle in the state." He had represented Nagaon parliamentary constituency for four terms from 1999 to 2019 and had served as the Union minister of state for railways from 2016 to 2019.

Assam Police DSP held in connection with death of singer Zubeen Garg

Zubeen Garg's cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the singer's death in Singapore last month, a senior officer said. This is the fifth arrest in the case. Earlier, North East India Festival chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, and his two band members - Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta - were apprehended. "We have arrested Sandipan Garg. Now, we are doing the necessary legal formalities," CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta told PTI. The apprehended police officer was interrogated several times in the last few days over the singer's death in Singapore last month. Sandipan Garg, a deputy SP and a cousin of the singer, was present with him during the alleged drowning incident in the island country. "Our team has taken him to a court here. We will seek police remand," another senior officer said. The four others, who were arrested earlier in connection with the case, are now in poli

Bajaj Auto gets over ₹3.5 cr demand notice from Assam tax authorities

Bajaj Auto on Tuesday said it has received a tax demand of over Rs 3.5 crore from Assam authorities. The company has received an order for excess input tax credit availed in GSTR-3B as compared to GSTR-2A for FY 21-22, and demanded the difference as tax amounting to Rs 3,51,87,014 along with applicable interest and penalty of Rs 35,18,701, the Pune-based firm said in a regulatory filing. The company availed input tax credit after fulfilling all the conditions as per the provisions of the GST law, it added. Accordingly, based on the merits of the case, the company will be filing an appeal against the Order, Bajaj Auto said. The order does not have any major financial implications on the company, it added. Bajaj Auto shares on Tuesday ended 1.25 per cent up at Rs 8,903.90 apiece on BSE.

Centre okay ₹707 cr for Assam, Gujarat floods; ₹904 cr for fire services

A high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance for Assam and Gujarat that were hit by floods and landslides in 2024. The committee has also approved Rs 903.67 crore for Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the expansion and modernisation of the state fire services. "A high-level committee, headed by the Union home minister, has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance to Assam and Gujarat, affected by floods and landslides in 2024," an official statement said. The assistance has been provided from the NDRF, subject to an adjustment of 50 per cent of the opening balance for the year available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Of the total amount of Rs 707.97 crore, a share of Rs 313.69 crore has been approved for Assam and Rs 394.28 crore for Gujarat. Of the total outlay of Rs 903.67 crore given to Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and

Assam ready to extend help in landslide-hit Darjeeling, Sikkim: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday expressed concern over the loss of lives in West Bengal's Darjeeling due to landslides, and the situation in rain-battered Sikkim, assuring all possible assistance to tide over the crisis. 'We are extremely distressed by the devastation and loss of lives in Darjeeling and elsewhere in North Bengal due to heavy rains,' Sarma said in a post on X. The toll in the devastating landslides in Darjeeling district has risen to 24, as disaster management personnel continued rescue operations on Monday, with several people still missing and thousands of tourists stranded in cut-off hill pockets. 'On behalf of the people of Assam, we are ready to provide any support to the Govt of West Bengal in rescue and relief operations,' the CM said. He also said that the people of Assam 'stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Sikkim in this hour of crisis'. 'The Government of Assam is committed to extend any possible assistance that

Manager, festival organiser may have poisoned Zubeen Garg, says bandmate

Zubeen Garg's bandmate alleges his manager and festival organiser might have poisoned him in Singapore; Assam police have arrested four persons, and a judicial commission will probe the case

Child marriage cases surged six-fold in 2023, Assam leads with 90%: NCRB

Cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act jumped six times in 2023 compared to the previous year, with Assam alone accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the total cases, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. The NCRB data also revealed that 16,737 girls and 129 boys were kidnapped or abducted "for marriage" in 2023. The report further shows that 6,038 cases were filed under the Act in 2023, a sharp rise from 1,002 cases in 2022 and 1,050 in 2021. Among these, Assam reported 5,267 cases, making it the state with the highest number of cases. Other states with higher figures in the list include Tamil Nadu (174), Karnataka (145) and West Bengal (118). Several states and Union Territories such as Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Ladakh and Lakshadweep reported no cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act during the year. The Act, enacted in 2006, prohibits marriage of girls below the age of 18 and boys below 21, and criminalises those who .

MHA sanctions ₹692 crore for flood control project in Assam: Minister

The minister informed that three months ago, the state government received approval to identify 15 locations where wetlands will be converted into reservoirs

2 band members sent to 14-day police remand in Zubeen Garg death case

A court in Assam on Friday sent Zubeen Garg's band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta to 14 days of police remand in connection with the death of the singer-composer. Munna Prasad Gupta, the Special DGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), told PTI that the local court sent the duo to 14 days of police remand. "The interrogation of all the four arrested accused is underway. I cannot share anything more at this moment," he said. Goswami and Mahanta were arrested on Thursday after days of interrogation. The duo was present on the yacht in Singapore, where Garg died on September 19 while swimming in the sea. Police have already invoked murder charges against Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who were nabbed from Delhi on Wednesday.

Zubeen's autopsy report shared with Indian authorities: Singapore Police

Police investigations are currently underway in the matter, while the public has been advised to refrain from sharing any videos or images related to the matter

Assam Police book Zubeen Garg's manager and festival organiser for murder

Singer-musician Zubeen Garg died due to drowning while swimming off a Singapore island and not while scuba diving as reported earlier, media reports said Thursday. Assam-based Garg, who was in Singapore for the 60th year of India Singapore Diplomatic Relations and to celebrate India ASEAN Year of Tourism, North East India Festival, died on September 19. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they have extended a copy of the autopsy report, along with its preliminary findings on Garg's death, to the High Commission of India, upon its request, The Straits Times newspaper reported. The Indian High Commission says it has received the report. According to a source, the report says that Garg died due to drowning. The SPF had earlier ruled out foul play in the death of the 52-year-old singer. In the case of Zubeen Garg, a coroner's inquiry could possibly shed light on the sequence of events leading up to his drowning, the Singapore broadsheet quoted Ng Kai Ling, associate director at LIM

Festival organiser arrested, Zubeen's manager remanded to 14 days' custody

North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and singer Zubeen Garg's manager Siddhartha Sharma have been remanded to 14 days' police custody by the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate, a senior police official said on Wednesday. The duo was arrested and brought to Guwahati from Delhi in connection with the singer's death in Singapore, the official added. Mahanta was arrested on his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi from Singapore while Sharma was arrested from an apartment in Gurugram. The official said Sharma's location was traced, and he was found to have been travelling across Delhi and Rajasthan. After they landed in Guwahati airport, the duo was taken to the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate's residence as courts are closed for Durga Puja. According to the official, the court remanded them to 14 days' police custody. Both were taken to the CID office from the CJM's residence. Meanwhile, Zubeen's wife Garima Saikia Garg, who i

Gautam Adani, son pay homage at Zubeen Garg's Guwahati residence

Leading industrialist Gautam Adani and his son Jeet paid a visit to deceased singer-composer Zubeen Garg's house in Assam's Guwahati on Sunday, and paid homage to the state's cultural icon. Adani and his son spent around half-an-hour at Garg's residence in Kahilipara area here, and met his wife Garima Saikia Garg, an official told PTI. The businessman reached the area around 9 pm along with several senior officials of the Adani Group, and paid floral tributes. "Gautam Adani and his son Jeet came to offer their condolences to the icon of Assam. They sat with Garima for some time and expressed grief over the untimely demise of the singer," the official said. Garg died in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea.

Zubeen Garg's family files complaint with CID, seeks probe into his death

The family of Assam's cultural icon Zubeen Garg filed a complaint with the state CID over his death by drowning in Singapore, seeking a thorough probe into the incident. Garg's uncle Manoj Kumar Borthakur, a signatory in the complaint, told PTI that they had sent it to the CID through email on Saturday. "We want a thorough probe into the circumstances of his death," he said. Garg's wife Garima and his sister Palme Borthakur are the other signatories. A senior police officer said, "We have received a complaint from Garg's family and are examining it." He said the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of CID is already probing the incidents surrounding the death of the singer-composer on September 19 in Singapore, and the complaint filed by the family will be taken up with it. A SIT team visited Garg's residence at the Kahilipara area of Guwahati on Sunday, he said. "We needed to ask certain things, and our officers met the family. Their statements are being recorded," he added.

Assam surpasses national average in decline in child marriages: Report

Assam has recorded a sharp decline in the number of child marriages, surpassing the national average, as per a report of a survey carried out by a non-governmental organisation in five states. Legal deterrence, including police complaints and arrests, was identified as among the most effective tools in eliminating child marriage, the report based on the period April 2022 to March 2025 said. The report, 'Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India', released recently at a side event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, was prepared by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change for Children (C-LAB), an initiative of NGO Just Rights for Children (JRC) partner India Child Protection. The report said Assam is leading the nation with the steepest decline in child marriage, recording an 84 per cent drop in cases among girls and a 91 per cent reduction among boys in the last three years. It said that at the national level, child marriages declin