The case has spiraled into a sensational, deeply complex investigation gripping public attention across the country. The Singapore autopsy report says Zubeen died due to drowning. But that being true, the events leading up to his drowning are significant in determining the nature of his death. The Assam Government has ordered a viscera analysis following widespread allegations of foul play. The report is expected on October 10.

GUWAHATI, Oct 5: Assam's cultural icon the late Zubeen Garg's close friend and bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami has accused the late singer's manager Siddharth Sharma and the Singapore event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta of poisoning the legendary singer leading to his death by drowning in the sea off St. John's Island during swimming while on a pleasure trip on a yacht with a group of ten on board on September 19.

Both Siddharth Sharma and cultural entrepreneur Shyamkanu Mahanta have denied the allegations during police interrogation after their arrest on Wednesday following the startling disclosue by Shekhar—who was arrested earlier alongwith another—during the latter's questioning.

Zubeen was scheduled to perform on September 20 at the three-day event jointly organised by the fourth edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF) of Mahanta and the Indian High Commission marking the 60th year of India-Singapore Diplomatic Relations.

Shekhar further told the SIT that the duo had conspired to poison the victim and had deliberately chosen the foreign venue for the purpose. Siddharth specially arranged drinks, he claimed. Shekhar said Zubeen was an expert swimmer who had trained him and Siddharth as well. He also told the SIT that Siddharth was nonserious when Zubeen was seen gasping for breath in the sea.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said yesterday: “The viscera report from the National Forensic Laboratory is expected by October 10, and only then we will know the truth."

Meanwhile, a one-man judicial commission led by Gauhati HC Justice Soumitra Saikia has begun an independent probe,he said.

Four arrested

Assam's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had arrested Siddhartha and Mahanta on Wednesday from Delhi and transported to Guwahati and got remanded to 14 days police custody. Siddhartha haf been absconding since the singer’s death. The CID has added murder charges to the first information report (FIR) after the disclosure by Shekhar.

So far, four people—Siddharth Sharma, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta—have been arrested. The CID has issued notices to the Assam Association in Singapore to appear before it on October 6.

The arrests followed the discovery of pharmaceutical drugs in Zubeen’s bag—reportedly in Siddharth’s possession—and inconsistencies in the timeline of Garg’s final hours.

The 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) is expected to visit Singapore in a couple of days.

Autopsy report

Zubeen died under mysterious circumstances while swimming and he was not scuba diving as reported earlier. It was also reported that he had a seizure while in the waters.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) ruled out foul play in the death of the 52-year-old singer. According to the SPF, Zubeen was on board a yacht with over a dozen people. He jumped into the water first with a life jacket and again a second time without it. He was pulled out unconscious and died in Singapore General Hospital. The autopsy report was given to the Indian High Commission and also to his wife Garima Garg. It says Zubeen died due to drowning.

The Assam Government ordered another viscera analysis following widespread allegations of foul play.

But that being true, the events leading up to his drowning are significant in determining the nature of his drowning and not be carried away by irrelevat and inconsequential disclosures during interrogations or by rumours.

Financial angle

Reports claim Siddhartha as Zubeen Garg’s manager is now the sole owner of the copyrights of his creations — running into crores in royalties—who absconded after Zubeen’s tragic death. He continues to get the royalties amounting to crores annually for Garg’s songs from online platforms like YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Gaana, etc, the report said.

Zubeen's major Bollywood hits were 'Ya Ali' from the film 'Gangster', 'Dil Tu Hi Bataa' from 'Krrish 3' and 'Jaane Kya Chahe Man' from 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects'. Apart from Assamese, he also sang in many other languages.

His personal project, film Roi Roi Binale, wil be released on October 31 posthumously.

The chronology of events

• September 17–18: Garg arrives in Singapore for NEIF, scheduled for September 20–21. He appears cheerful in videos,
• September 19: During a swim, Garg reportedly re-enters the water without a life jacket. He loses consciousness and is pulled out, given CPR, and rushed to Singapore General Hospital. He is declared dead later that day. The cause: drowning, possibly triggered by an epileptic seizure, given his known medical history.
• September 20: NEIF is canceled. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announces three days of state mourning and directs complaints to CID for a consolidated probe.
• September 22–26: CID raids Mahanta’s residence, seizing multiple PAN cards and stamp seals, hinting at possible financial crimes.
• September 27–30: CID questions Garg’s bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amritprabha Mahanta. Both are later arrested and remanded to 14-day custody.
• September 30: Mahanta petitions the Supreme Court to transfer the investigation to a central agency like the NIA or CBI, citing bias. He is arrested shortly after.

• The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
• The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
• The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.

PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.

Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people. (Today's headlines )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.

Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.

As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.

ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!

What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America! (Today's headlines )

PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).

In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.

THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.

The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.

Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See: New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)

ANALYSIS: "The standard operating procedure for deportations by aircraft used by ICE that is effective from 2012 provides for the use of restraints," says the Government. That means, it is taken for granted the US will set the standard for deportations. For another, the Government is more interested in comparing with what happened in 2012 under a different Government to justify its own compliance! No surprise, others are trampling upon us. (How we conduct ourselves inside decides, inherently, how we are treated outside) Thirdly, the Government blamed the gangs doing the business of human trafficking for the illegal migration. For all the crimes taking place in the country, let us blame the criminals! Funny! We will never move an inch forward! The mindset defines what we are.

Meanwhile, a UN-returned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor sounded like a layman when he said, "If they are citizens of India we have an obligation to take them back." Who said 'No'?. He should know that is not the issue now. Who will identify an undocumented person, and how?

The function was held indoors from 12 pm (10:30 pm IST) at the rotunda of the US Capitol building because of unusually intense cold and snow. Delivering his inaugural address, Trump remarked, “The golden age of America begins right now," and just hours later signed a slew of executive orders to redeem the election pledges.

The issue: Trump says he is open to 'economic force' to acquire Canada as its '51st State' if it does not stop the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the US and secure its border.

Trudeau gets ready for the battle: Trudeau under Trump's onslaught had appeared quiet as a lamb because he was facing serious internal problems and now the situation has changed. He has resigned and has enough space for a single-minded counter-attack as acting PM. And that is what he is doing to Canada's advantage. He will prapare Canada to take the 'bull' by the horns (literally) when he takes office on January 20.

There is more to it: On the same page now, Conservative Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has also outlined his plan to deal with the US President-elect's threats. Both will stand united against the common enemy, and take on him adequately when he assumes office.

And the latest: The counter-attack begins. In a CNN interview, Trudeau strategically addresses the Americans, tells them a ghostly 25% tariff will create a recession in Canada but will be equally devastating for the US economy. And he has a point.

• A President-elect at the instance of 'sensible' aides has declared, “A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America.” A Trump statement said he will chop off the bureaucratic flab, or in his own words, “drain the swamp” in Washington. This contrasts with India where millions and millions of clerks rule the roost with the blessings of petty vote bank politicians, who badly needed them, all these 77 years.
• The South African migrant who will benefit more than Trump himself from the election victory has climbed to the helm - Elon Musk will be the monarch of all he surveys in Washington!
• Musk will lead a 'Department of Government Efficiency' with Vivek Ramaswamy, the eccentric dreamer.
• They will slash bureaucracy and Government spending and restructure Federal agencies. (But no mention of what next and how!)
• The irony lies here: Musk will also be the boss of all Federal agencies, including those currently investigating business frauds in his own companies like Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink, which receive Government funding, inter alia making him the richest man on earth.