North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta has moved the Supreme Court seeking the transfer of the probe into the death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore to the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency, Bar and Bench reported on Friday.

Mahanta, in his petition, also sought protection from arrest after more than 50 cases were filed against him in connection with Garg’s death in the country. He had been arrested in the matter on Wednesday.

The petition claimed that the festival organiser was falsely implicated in the case, Bar and Bench reported. It added that the criminal process was being misused to turn public outrage into a witch-hunt.

Garg, a popular Assamese singer, died on September 19 during a yacht trip, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the festival.

The event had been organised by the Indian government and the Indian High Commission in Singapore, with support from the Assam Association and the North East India Association in the country.

A death certificate issued by the Singaporean authorities on September 20 stated the cause of Garg’s death as drowning.

After the death, more than 50 first information reports were filed against Mahanta and Garg’s manager, Siddhartha Sharma.

Sharma and Mahanta were arrested on Wednesday and remanded to 14 days’ police custody. They were booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and causing death by negligence.

On Thursday, the Assam Police also charged Sharma and Mahanta for murder. Hours later, two other musicians, Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta were arrested. Both of them were with Garg in Singapore when he drowned to death during the yacht trip.

Mahanta’s petition in the court had been filed shortly before he was arrested, Bar and Bench reported. His counsel said that the petition would be amended to take into account the latest development.

In his petition, Mahanta said that the incident took place during a yacht trip ahead of the singer’s performance at the festival, Bar and Bench reported. He added that this trip had nothing to do with the event.

The petition noted that the authorities in Singapore had earlier ruled out foul play in Garg’s death.

Noting that more than 50 FIRs had been filed against Mahanta in Assam and other states, the petition said that these cases accused him of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide merely because he was the organiser of the festival.

The petition further alleged that Mahanta was at the event venue with dignitaries, including the Meghalaya chief minister and Indian High Commission officials, when the incident took place.

He only learnt about the incident after receiving a phone call from Garg’s manager, he added.

The Assam government had formed a Special Investigation Team to probe Mahanta’s role in Garg’s death, while officials, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had made remarks claiming that no festivals linked to him would be permitted in the state, the petition said.

Such remarks had prejudiced the investigation while also destroying any chance of a fair probe, it added.

The Special Investigation Team, led by Special Director General of Police MP Gupta, had been formed to probe the case lodged by the state police’s Criminal Investigation Department in the matter.

Mahanta also alleged that he had received death threats, including messages warning him against returning to Assam. Instead of granting him protection, the Criminal Investigation Department had issued a lookout circular against him, he added.

The festival manager further raised concerns about some media outlets and social media accounts that had portrayed him as guilty.

Describing the accusations as “baseless”, Mahanta urged the court to consolidate all the cases and transfer them to the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency, under the supervision of a retired judge.

He also sought directions to media outlets to refrain from unverified reporting until the investigation was complete.

Also read: Why musician Zubeen Garg’s death has unleashed a storm of anger in Assam

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