Zubeen Garg death probe: Singer's cop cousin who accompanied him to Singapore arrested

Sandipan Garg has been arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the probe into the singer's death by drowning.

Garg has been remanded to police custody for seven days.

Garg, a deputy superintendent in the Assam Police Service, is the fifth person to be arrested, NDTV reported.

All accused have been arrested on charges of murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence, the broadcaster reported.

Earlier, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, a band member, alleged Zubeen was poisoned by his manager and event organiser in Singapore and he did not die of drowning.

Goswami alleged the choice of the location and the incident at Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore was done to cover up the murder and paint it as an accident, CNN News 18 reported.

He has accused Zubeen's manager Siddharth Sharma and event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta of poisoning the singer.

From the witness' statement as accessed by the publication, he has accused Sharma of forcibly taking control of the yacht.

Goswami alleged when Zubeen was frothing at the mouse and nose, Sharma was heard shouting 'Jabo de, jabo de' which means in English 'let him go'.

He alleged Sharma dismissed the frothing as an "acid reflux" and did not seek urgent medical help leading the singer to his death.

Goswami also stated Zubeen was an "expert swimmer" and he could not drown in any way.

Though the popular singer's autopsy was conducted in Singapore, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered a second autopsy in the state respecting the public demand.

The 52-year-old singer was in Singapore to grace the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore diplomatic relations and also to celebrate the Indo-ASEAN Year of Tourism.

Best known for the massively popular 'Ya Ali' song from the 2006 film Gangster, Zubeen sang in 20 languages including Assamese, Hindi and Bengali.

Sung for several other Hindi films like Fiza, Kaante, Dil Tu Hi Bataa, Chup Chup Ke, and more.

Though Bollywood gave him recognition, he continued to focus on Assamese music as his primary passion.