Demonstrators clash with police as unrest intensifies outside Baksa jail following singer’s death.
Protests erupted outside the Baksa Central Jail in Assam on Wednesday as demonstrators expressed their outrage over the death of renowned Assamese singer Zubeen Garg. The unrest escalated when protesters threw stones at vehicles transporting five individuals arrested in connection with Garg’s death, according to police reports.
As the vehicles arrived at the jail, the crowd attempted to breach the premises, even going so far as to sit at the entrance gate and set several vehicles ablaze. The Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Akhilesh Kumar Singh, reported that this prompted police to take action to disperse the demonstrators. By 6 PM, authorities managed to regain control of the situation.
Singh stated that there were injuries on both sides during the clashes, and authorities are currently assessing the total number of injuries sustained. Some protesters voiced their demands for the arrested individuals to be handed over to them, insisting on justice for Zubeen Garg.
In response to the violent protests, prohibitory orders were enacted, preventing gatherings of five or more people within a 500-metre radius of the jail. Additionally, mobile internet services were suspended across the Baksa district, although voice calls and broadband services based on fixed lines remained unaffected, as noted in a circular issued by the chief secretary.
The district magistrate also issued a ban on carrying any lethal weapons, including lathis, daggers, sticks, and swords, in the vicinity. The restrictions are set to remain in place until further notice, as authorities aim to manage the ongoing tensions.
Zubeen Garg, who died on September 19 during a yacht trip in Singapore, was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival the following day. The festival was organized with the support of the Indian government and the Indian High Commission in Singapore, as well as local associations. A death certificate issued by Singaporean authorities attributed Garg’s death to drowning, while the Singapore Police Force stated that they had ruled out foul play in their preliminary findings.
Seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, including Garg’s manager, Siddharth Sharma, the festival organizer, Shyamkanu Mahanta, and two musicians, Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta. Other arrests included Zubeen Garg’s cousin, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandipan Garg, and two of his personal security officers. On Wednesday, the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate remanded these five individuals to judicial custody, citing concerns for their safety and recommending their transfer to a facility with a lower inmate population. Consequently, the five were moved to Baksa jail.
