Guwahati: Emotions ran high in Guwahati on Wednesday as thousands of fans of singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg staged a protest outside the office of Prag News, demanding the immediate arrest of its Chairman and Managing Director, Sanjive Narain. The agitation came even as Narain was holding a press conference to clarify his role in the events leading to Garg’s untimely death in Singapore on September 19.
The celebrated singer had drowned while swimming in the sea after attending the Northeast India Festival in Singapore. His cremation, with full state honours, was held on Tuesday at Kamarkuchi on the outskirts of Guwahati.
An FIR has already been lodged at Bongaigaon Police Station against Narain, whose name has surfaced in connection with the incident. The case has since been transferred to the CID for investigation.
At the press meet, Narain maintained that he was not on board the private yacht in which Garg went to an island along with Assamese NRIs. “I had no idea about the yacht tour. I was having lunch when I got a call from Shyamkanu Mahanta that Zubeen had met with an accident. I rushed to the harbour and took him to the hospital,” Narain said. He added that Singapore police had questioned others on the yacht but allowed only Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma to leave.
Despite his clarifications, the mood outside his office in Ulubari was one of anger and mistrust. “He is an accused in a criminal case. How can he hold a press conference? Why is the police not questioning him?” said one protester, who identified himself as a member of the Zubeen Garg Fan Club. Another demonstrator alleged that Narain’s freedom risked “tampering with evidence” in the case.
The press meet was initially scheduled at Guwahati Press Club but was shifted to Prag News headquarters at the last minute. Narain claimed police did not permit him to hold it at the original venue, citing security concerns.
Meanwhile, the Assam government on Wednesday barred festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta—who had invited Garg to Singapore—from hosting any events in the state. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government would not extend financial assistance, sponsorships, or advertisements to any programme associated with Mahanta, directly or indirectly. More than 60 police complaints have already been lodged against him and others for their alleged role in Garg’s death.
For Zubeen’s fans, however, Wednesday’s protest was more than a demonstration—it was a public outcry for justice. As one mourner put it, “This is not just about Zubeen da the artist. It’s about truth, accountability, and respect for the icon he was to Assam.”
