GUWAHATI: The probe into Zubeen Garg’s death has taken a dramatic turn, with fresh allegations of poisoning now at the centre of an intensifying criminal inquiry.In the past 12 hours, the case has escalated sharply with three major developments — now public SIT’s arrest memo for manager Siddharth Sharma citing a co-accused’s claim that Zubeen was poisoned, the one-man judicial commission led by Gauhati HC Justice Soumitra Saikia launching its independent probe, and Zubeen’s wife, Garima, returning the autopsy report to investigators, stating it was not her personal document and should be handled at their discretion.The SIT’s arrest memo for Zubeen’s manager, Siddharth, revealed explosive grounds for arrest — citing allegations from a band member and co-accused that Zubeen was poisoned in Singapore, where he died on Sept 19.The SIT claimed that co-accused and key witness, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, has made explosive allegations against Siddharth and Shyamkanu, the organiser of the event where Zubeen had gone to participate.The arrest memo cites that Shekhar, who was Zubeen’s band member, has alleged before it that “Shri Sharma and Shri Shyamkanu Mahanta had poisoned the victim and deliberately chosen a foreign venue to conceal their conspiracy. Shri Sharma also instructed him not to share the yacht videos with anyone.”Saying that Shekhar has made the poisoning claim before the SIT, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The viscera report from the National Forensic Laboratory is expected by Oct 10, and only then we will know the truth.”According to Shekhar’s statement, recorded by the CID under Sec 175 of BNSS, Siddharth forcibly took control of the yacht from its sailor during the Singapore event, causing it to wobble dangerously in mid-sea, thereby endangering all passengers onboard. He alleged that Siddharth instructed Tanmoy Phukan, an NRI and member of the Assam Association Singapore, not to arrange drinks, insisting that he alone would provide them.During the critical moments when Zubeen was gasping for breath in the sea, Shekhar alleged that Siddharth was heard shouting “jabo de, jabo de” (let him go, let him go). Shekhar said Zubeen was an expert swimmer, who had personally trained both him and Siddharth, and therefore could not have drowned under normal circumstances.Shekhar alleged that when Zubeen began frothing at the mouth and nose, Siddharth had dismissed it as acid reflux, assuring others that there was nothing to worry. Instead of seeking medical help, Siddharth allegedly facilitated early demise of the singer by delaying intervention.Legal experts caution that a co-accused’s statement, unless corroborated, holds no evidentiary value during trial. Senior advocate Angshuman Bora of the Gauhati HC said, “If the statement is recorded as a confession, it must first implicate the person making it. Only then can it extend to implicating others. A confession is an admission of guilt — it must be inculpatory in nature. In this case, the statement appears to be exculpatory, as it does not implicate the accused himself. An exculpatory statement cannot be treated as a confession, because a confession must be inculpatory implicating himself in the commission of offense.”
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