Assam CM Claims Zubeen Garg Was Murdered, Says SIT Ready to File Chargesheet

A probe into the death of legendary Assamese singer Zubeen Garg is still underway, but Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday claimed that the cultural icon was murdered in Singapore. “I am not terming it an accident,” Sarma said during a visit to Tezpur, without sharing further details about the evidence pointing to murder.

The Chief Minister said that the chargesheet in the murder case would be filed soon. “The deadline for submission is December 17, but I have set a target to file it by December 8. We are ready now,” he told reporters.

Garg, one of Assam’s most beloved artists, died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19. He was in the Southeast Asian nation to attend the 4th North East India Festival (NEIF). His sudden death shocked fans across the country and led to an outpouring of grief and speculation.

Following widespread outrage, the Assam Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. The case was registered under murder charges, after more than 60 FIRs were filed across the state by fans and cultural organisations demanding justice.

Sarma said the SIT would soon write to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking permission to file the chargesheet, since the incident occurred abroad. “I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite the approval,” he said, adding that the process should begin within the next few days.

So far, seven people have been arrested in connection with Garg’s death, including NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, as well as his cousin and police officer Sandipan Garg, and security personnel Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya. Police reportedly found financial transactions exceeding ₹1.1 crore from the accounts of the latter two. All seven are currently in judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is conducting its own inquiry. In a statement on October 17, it said that preliminary findings did not indicate foul play, but added that the final report could take up to three months before being submitted to the state coroner.