Zubeen Garg death: Probe not transparent, says Assam LoP
Guwahati: Assam Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia launched a vitriolic attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging “that the state government is not conducting a transparent investigation into the death of singer Zubeen Garg.”
Saikia said the Chief Minister’s remarks on the case had “created confusion” among the public and raised doubts about the authenticity of the probe.
“From his statements, it appears that the ongoing investigation may not be entirely transparent,” he said, accusing the Chief Minister of receiving “inside information” from the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Saikia said that Sarma had initially called it a case of “murder” but later said the facts, once made public, would be “hard for the people of Assam to digest.”
He questioned, “What exactly has the Chief Minister learnt from the SIT that he is revealing through the media?”
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The opposition leader also said Sarma had earlier spoken about “concerns over Zubeen Garg’s safety.” “If he already knew that, why was there no proper security arrangement before the artist travelled to Singapore?” he asked.
Saikia sought accountability from Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and expressed disappointment that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had not reached out to Garg’s family. He further questioned whether the Chief Minister was directly controlling the investigation.
“The Assam CID was formed in 1922 and has capable officers. Then why was the Superintendent of CM Vigilance—under the Chief Minister’s direct control—assigned to the CID?” Saikia asked. “If CM Vigilance officers are so competent, why not transfer them permanently to CID?”
He also pointed questions “about the search operation at the residence of event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, asking whether any magistrate or official witness was present and how Mahanta’s family re-entered the house after it was sealed.”
“The Chief Minister had promised to reveal shocking information on September 10, even saying journalists from Delhi would be invited to hear it. Why hasn’t he made it public yet?” Saikia said.
“The event in Singapore was organised to mark 60 years of India-Singapore ties, yet Zubeen Garg wasn’t given proper hospitality, medical help, or security. Authorities knew he suffered from seizures—why was he allowed into the sea without a life jacket?” Saikia asked.
Meanwhile, the SIT and CID have arrested seven persons in connection with Garg’s death, including event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, his cousin Sandipan Garg (a suspended APS officer), bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, co-singer Amritprava Mahanta, and two PSOs, Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya. All seven have been remanded to judicial custody by the CJM court in Guwahati.