Guwahati: The Guwahati Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested Shikha Sharma for posting offensive content on Facebook against legendary Assamese singer late Zubeen Garg. The arrest was made after his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, filed an FIR with the police.
Police said Shikha Sharma was arrested from her house at Patherquarry in Guwahati. She had shared a public Facebook post where she used abusive language and made false and insulting remarks about the late singer’s character.
After her arrest, Shikha Sharma was produced before a court, which sent her to police custody for two days.
In her complaint, Garima Saikia Garg said that the Facebook post did not only target her late husband but also insulted her and other family members. She also alleged that Sharma threatened to reveal personal details of the family, which caused fear and mental harassment.
The complaint said that making false statements about a deceased person is also considered defamation under the law. The FIR included serious charges such as hate speech, criminal intimidation, and attempts to create communal tension. The case was registered under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Apart from the family, many fans of Zubeen Garg also filed complaints against Shikha Sharma at different police stations across Assam.
It is not the first time that Shikha Sharma has been in controversy. In the past too, she had faced legal action for making controversial and communal remarks on social media.
Meanwhile, as anger grew on social media, Sharma reportedly deleted the disputed Facebook posts before her arrest.
Journalist Hemanta Sarma Files FIR Against Sikha Sarma at Dispur Police
Journalist and author Hemanta Sarma has filed an FIR at Dispur Police Station against controversial writer Sikha Sarma for making offensive and vulgar remarks on social media against late music legend Zubeen Garg.
Sarma said that Zubeen Garg was not just a musician but a major cultural symbol of Assamese society, whose contribution to music, culture, and humanitarian values is unforgettable. He added that such disrespectful comments against a deceased cultural icon are unacceptable and hurt the collective sentiments of the people of Assam.
In the FIR, submitted with supporting evidence, Hemanta Sarma alleged that Sikha Sarma’s remarks were defamatory, provocative, and capable of disturbing social harmony. He urged the police to take strict legal action against her.
