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CBI probe will be sought if SIT report is unsatisfactory: Himanta to Zubeen fans
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to people not to spread rumours on social media which could hamper the ongoing probe into the death of singer Zubeen Garg
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the state government would recommend a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry if the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing singer Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore last week turns out to be unsatisfactory.
Addressing the media in Guwahati, Sarma appealed to people not to spread rumours on social media which, he said, could hamper the ongoing probe.
“We have to keep patience and let the SIT investigate. We will wait for their report and if this turns out to be unsatisfactory, we can definitely go for a CBI enquiry. But for now, I would suggest all Zubeen fans to have patience,” Sarma said.
The state government on Wednesday constituted a 10-member SIT under CID special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta to probe the circumstances that led to Garg’s drowning in Singapore earlier this week. The SIT will be required to prepare a detailed report for judicial examination, the CM added.
Sarma also hinted that several individuals named in connection with the case would be questioned. “If people expect instant justice, the process will fail. The investigation has to go point by point,” he added.
As per the death certificate issued by a Singapore hospital, Garg’s cause of death was drowning. However, Sarma said the post-mortem report may provide more details. An additional autopsy was carried out at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on September 23, but the report is still awaited.
Sarma on Wednesday said that viscera samples would be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi for detailed examination.
He had held a high-level meeting with police and senior officials to monitor the investigation. After the meeting, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “In regard to the untimely death of our beloved Zubeen Garg, we will not spare anyone. Today, I had a meeting with the DGP, ADGP (CID) and the Chief Secretary of Assam. I have instructed the DGP to constitute an SIT with the best officers of Assam Police.”
Garg was to take part in the North East Festival, organised by Syamkanu Mahanta in Singapore on September 20. But a day prior to that, he along with some associates and Assamese residing in Singapore went out to sea in a yacht. The 52-year-old was swimming when he is believed to have suffered a bout of epileptic seizure and died.
After that, more than 50 FIRs were lodged across Assam against Northeast India Festival (NEIF) organiser Syamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, Guwahati-based media owner Sanjiv Narain, and Sekhar Jyoti Goswami, a close associate of Mahanta.
Responding to a question regarding the possible arrests of Mahanta and others, Sarma said that a chief minister should not take names of individuals when an investigation is going on.
“We all are Zubeen fans, nobody is more or less. For now, we should allow the SIT to do their job and calling for a CBI enquiry is open,” he said.
Sarma said that Syamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma are not in Assam as per the initial reports, but police are trying to locate them.
The SIT on Thursday conducted searches at the Guwahati residences of both Mahanta and Sharma for several hours and collected some evidence. A crowd had gathered outside Mahanta’s residence and the situation turned ugly after some started pelting stones at the house accusing him of playing a role in Garg’s death. Police resorted to mild baton charge, in which a few people were injured, to bring the situation under control
Mahanta on Thursday issued a video on social media where he claimed there was no murder conspiracy and that he was not aware what exactly happened before the singer’s death.
He also said that his family was being targeted and unnecessary hate was being spread against him. “Zubeen was our cultural icon and we love him equally as any Assamese person. We shared a special bond. He helped us conduct cultural events many times,” he added.
Congress leader and leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, however, accused the government of negligence, claiming that adequate security was not ensured for Garg despite past warnings of conspiracies against him.
“Zubeen Garg is not just a singer—he is a cultural institution of Assam. The chief minister himself had spoken six years ago about conspiracies surrounding him. The government should have acted then instead of reacting after his death,” Saikia told reporters at a press conference in Dispur on Thursday.
Saikia said his party had already written to the President seeking a CBI probe, arguing that since the incident took place abroad, a central agency should handle the investigation. He also demanded that the inquiry cover possible angles of personal enmity, professional rivalry, and organised attempts to malign Garg.
Amid these developments, six individuals were detained on Wednesday for disrupting the construction of a boundary wall at Kamerkuchi, Sonapur, where Garg was cremated with full state honours.
According to police, the youths, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, halted construction and hurled abuses at locals gathered at the site. They were identified as Arup Phukan (32), Migam Sharma (29), Arup Das (33), Hirakjyoti Kakati (32), Debasish Thakuria (30), and Priyanka Phangso (28).
“Yesterday, six youths consuming alcohol came and stopped ongoing work of the boundary wall. They abused us when we were praying for Zubeen’s eternal peace. We demand strict punishment,” a local resident said.
Villagers have since resolved to recite Bhagavad Path and Nam Kirtan daily at the Samadhi site until Garg’s Shraddha ceremony. They also appealed to the chief minister to ensure strict action against such disruptions.
