Protesters on Wednesday threw stones at vehicles carrying five persons who have been arrested in connection with the death of singer Zubeen Garg, while they were being brought to Assam’s Baksa Central Jail, PTI quoted the police as saying.

After the vehicles entered the jail, the protesters tried to storm the premises, sat at the entrance gate and set vehicles on fire.

This prompted the police to “use force to disperse the crowd”, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh told Scroll.

He added that the situation was brought under control by 6 pm.

Singh said police officers and protesters were injured in the clashes, adding that the authorities will be able to “give [an] exact number of injuries soon”.

Some of the protesters demanded that the persons arrested in the matter be handed over to them, to ensure “justice for Zubeen”, PTI reported.

Following the clashes, prohibitory orders barring assembly of five or more persons within 500 metres of the jail were imposed and mobile internet services were snapped in Baksa district. However, voice calls and broadband connections based on fixed telephone lines will not be restricted, the chief secretary said in a circular.

The district magistrate also prohibited the carrying of lethal weapons, including lathis, daggers, sticks and swords, in the area.

The restrictions will be in place until further notice, the circular added.

Garg, a renowned Assamese singer, died on September 19 during a yacht trip in Singapore, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival there.

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.

On October 1, the Singapore Police Force told The Straits Times that it had sent the Indian High Commission a copy of Zubeen Garg’s autopsy report and preliminary findings on his death.

The force, which comes under the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs, had earlier ruled out foul play.

Seven persons have been arrested in the case, including Zubeen Garg’s manager, Siddharatha Sharma, North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and two musicians – Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta.

Others who have been arrested include Zubeen Garg’s cousin Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandipan Garg, who had travelled with him to Singapore, and two of the singer’s personal security officers.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sharma, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Sandipan Garg and the two security officers were remanded to judicial custody by the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate, PTI reported.

The court flagged concerns about their safety and suggested they be shifted to a jail with fewer prisoners, prompting authorities to transfer the five persons to the Baksa jail.

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