Zubeen Garg death: Assam CM issues ultimatum to Singapore yacht attendees
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has issued a strong warning to the Assamese individuals who were present with singer Zubeen Garg during his final moments in Singapore, urging them to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation into the music icon's death.
ZubeenGarg, a beloved singer-musician, died on September 19, reportedly due to drowning while swimming off St. John's Island, Singapore, where he was attending the North East India Festival.
Initial reports had incorrectly stated he died while scuba diving. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has ruled out foul play and provided a preliminary autopsy report to the Indian High Commission, which also indicates drowning as the cause of death.
During a social media live session on Friday, CM Sarma said, “We now await the arrival of those Assamese individuals in Singapore who were with Zubeen in his last moments, so they can assist in the investigation. If they fail to cooperate, strict action will be taken against them as well.”
Chief Minister Sarma confirmed that all individuals already accused in connection with the incident have been arrested and placed under 14-day judicial remand. This follows the recent arrest of Zubeen Garg’s manager, Siddhartha Sharma, and festival chief organiser, Shyamkanu Mahanta, from the NCR region.
They face charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.
The Chief Minister also revealed that Zubeen Garg’s wife, Garima Garg, has received the post-mortem report prepared in Singapore, and the report from the post-mortem conducted at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) will be provided to her tomorrow.
"Whether she wishes to make the report public or not will be entirely her decision,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) established by the Assam government to probe the death has contacted several Assamese individuals in Singapore who were present on the yacht.
Notices have been sent to them, with two individuals, Abhimanyu Talukdar and Tanmoy Phukan, confirming they will arrive in Assam on October 7. However, the others are yet to confirm their travel.
Zubeen Garg's wife, Garima Saikia Garg, has expressed satisfaction that the already-arrested duo has been brought to Assam, stating she has full faith in the investigating team to uncover what exactly happened to her husband in his final moments.
The news of Garg's death, at the age of 52, has led to mass mourning across Assam, with thousands of fans bidding him a final adieu at the Guwahati stadium.