Assam Chief Information Commissioner and former state police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta has resigned from his post following the arrest of his brother Shyamkanu Mahanta in connection with the death of popular singer and actor Zubeen Garg in Singapore in September.
In his resignation letter, Mahanta said he stepped down to avoid any perception of bias or conflict of interest after his brother’s name surfaced in media reports related to the case.
“My conscience told me that if any RTI application were filed concerning my brother, it might lead to doubts or misinterpretations. To avoid even the slightest suspicion, I felt it was right to step aside,” Mahanta told reporters.
He said he had already informed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s office of his decision and had instructed his staff to alert him immediately if any RTI query concerning his brother reached the commission.
Mahanta added that a pending query sought details about government grants allegedly given to his brother for organising events. “Since the information sought involved Shyamkanu, I immediately submitted my resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya,” he said.
Shyamkanu Mahanta, one of seven arrested in the case, was the chief organiser of the North East India Festival attended by Garg in Singapore, where the singer drowned during a yacht party on September 19.
A 1988-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta served as Director General of Police from 2019 to 2023 before being appointed CIC in March 2023. His tenure was due to end in March 2026.
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