GUWAHATI: The Chief Information Commissioner of Assam, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, tendered his resignation on Thursday due to his brother’s involvement in the investigation concerning the death of the state’s celebrated figure, Zubeen Garg.
Mahanta, who previously served as the Director General of Assam Police, shared this decision through a post on Facebook. “I have chosen to resign from my position as CIC because of a particular circumstance. As you are all aware, my brother Shyamkanu Mahanta’s name has surfaced in connection with the death of our cherished artist Zubeen Garg,” Mahanta stated in his post.
In the wake of Zubeen’s suspicious demise in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the ocean, the Assam Police have initiated a murder investigation, and Mahanta’s younger brother, Shyamkanu, is among the seven individuals apprehended by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is examining the case.
Shyamkanu served as the principal organizer of the North East India Festival (NEIF) held in Singapore, which Zubeen attended. The musician, filmmaker, and actor tragically passed away while swimming in the sea during a yacht party hosted by several Assamese individuals residing in Singapore.
“Recently, an individual submitted a request to the information commission seeking information regarding the financial grants provided by the government (and its agencies) to Shyamkanu (for event organization) and other cultural organizations. Given that the requested information would also pertain to Shyamkanu…I promptly tendered my resignation to the Governor (Lakshman Prasad Acharya),” Mahanta stated.
“In light of these circumstances, my conscience urged me that if any inquiry were directed to the commission concerning my brother, I should resign to eliminate any doubt or confusion regarding my involvement in responding to that inquiry,” he continued.
Mahanta mentioned that he had communicated his intentions to the chief minister’s office and requested his colleagues to notify him immediately if any inquiries reached the commission regarding Shyamkanu.
“Those who know me are aware that even if I had remained in my position, the individual would have received satisfactory responses to his inquiry. However, to ensure that there is no lingering doubt in the minds of the public, I chose to resign from my position,” he added.
An IPS officer from the 1988 batch associated with the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Mahanta served as the Director General of Police (DGP) for Assam from 2019 to 2023. After his retirement, he was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) for the state in March 2023, with his term set to conclude in March 2026.
