Seven suspects face murder trial as Assam mourns singer Zubeen Garg

Zubeen Garg died on September 19 while swimming near Singapore's Lazarus Island, with local police ruling the incident an accidental drowning after a high blood-alcohol reading. In contrast, Assam's Special Investigation Team filed a massive chargesheet and arrested seven people—festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, manager Siddhartha Sharma, musicians Amritprabha Mahanta and Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, cousin Sandipan Garg, and two security officers—on murder, culpable homicide and conspiracy charges.

The Gauhati High Court set up a fast-track sessions court, and all accused have pleaded not guilty. Despite the legal battle, the state has created a permanent memorial, "Zubeen Kshetra," and organized large-scale cultural programmes, while artists such as AR Rahman and Post Malone have publicly paid tribute.