Fans Outraged at Shyamkanu Mahanta’s Statement on Zubeen Garg Death

Shyamkanu Mahanta, chief organiser of the North East India Festival (NEIF), has come under heavy fire from netizens after stating that popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg had come to Singapore mainly to relax, and not solely to attend the three-day festival.

The festival which was scheduled to begin on Friday was cancelled after Zubeen’s untimely death while “swimming in the sea without a life jacket.”

“Zubeen had informed the festival team that he wanted to go to Singapore, and we arranged for his stay at a hotel,” Mahanta said, adding, “He had not come just for the festival but had also made his own plans with members of the Assam Association in Singapore.”

According to Mahanta, Zubeen was not scheduled to give a full performance. He intended to meet fans, interact with people, and sing a few songs. The singer had come with only a small team: his cousin Sandeepan Garg, manager Siddhartha Sharma, and one musician, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami.

"We had not asked him to perform at the festival, but he always attended our events, whether in India or abroad. He felt it was his duty to represent the Northeast and spread a positive message,” Mahanta said.

However, his remarks have enraged fans online. Many accused him of downplaying the circumstances of Zubeen’s death and questioned why adequate safety measures were not taken. Netizens flooded social media platforms, calling Mahanta a “liar” and “irresponsible.”

One user wrote, “Only if the system changes, the premature death of Assamese heartthrob Zubeen Garg will be investigated. Otherwise, who has the courage to lie so much? CBI investigated the death of Jonmani Rabha. What was the result???"

Another user labelled Mahanta a “blatant liar.”

Since Zubeen’s untimely passing, public outrage against Mahanta has grown dramatically. Multiple complaints have been filed against him and the singer’s manager Siddhart Sharma in Assam. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked the police to transfer all cases to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) for a proper investigation.

Also Read: Fan Alleges Zubeen Garg Was Pressured by Shyamkanu Mahanta Before Singapore Trip