Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the state assembly on Tuesday that singer Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore on September 19 is now being treated as “plain and simple murder”, asserting that one person carried out the killing while several others assisted. Garg died while swimming in the sea during a visit to Singapore to participate in the 4th North East India Festival.
Sarma said the special investigation team probing the case has added murder charges under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within three days of Garg’s death. “One of the accused killed Garg and others helped that person. Four to five people are being booked in the murder case,” he told the House. He added that without the murder charge, the accused could have secured bail.
The SIT has arrested seven people so far, examined 252 witnesses and seized 29 items. According to Sarma, the case initially included charges of culpable homicide, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence, but investigators soon became certain that it was not an accidental death. “A day after his death, Assam Police had registered a case regarding culpable homicide... But after preliminary probe, the police were sure that it was not a case of culpable homicide, but a plain and simple murder,” he said.
The chief minister said the investigation will widen its scope. “The story begins before COVID days, eight years ago. Inquiry will be expanded so that not a single person who had ever betrayed Zubeen is spared,” he stated, suggesting that the alleged motive is linked to money. He added that the SIT will submit what he described as a “watertight chargesheet” in December.
Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, addressed the assembly during a discussion initiated through an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition. The motion was allowed at the government’s request, a step he called “an unprecedented instance of the government accepting the Opposition-sponsored adjournment motion.”
Responding to questions from Opposition members, Sarma said that court custody orders already reflect the application of murder charges. He rejected allegations of procedural lapses and maintained that the probe has been conducted professionally. “Judgement is the work of the court. But I have faith in my team for their professional work... For the sake of justice for Zubeen Garg, let us not demoralise the officers till the chargesheet is filed,” he said.
Post-mortem findings from Singapore were reviewed at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, and Sarma said local experts have “by and large endorsed” the earlier report, with the final conclusions drawing from both examinations.
The chief minister declined demands for a CBI inquiry. On a separate request for recommending the Bharat Ratna posthumously for Garg, he said all 126 MLAs would support it if introduced as a separate proposal.
The session saw brief disruptions. Congress MLAs staged a walkout after claiming the adjournment motion proceedings were incomplete. Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi was suspended and removed from the House after attempting to enter the Well while displaying a poster in protest.
Earlier, Speaker Biswajit Daimary said important Bills and supplementary grants scheduled for the day would be taken up after the discussion at Sarma’s request.