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Assam: Zubeen Garg’s family files police complaint seeking probe into his death
Zubeen Garg’s uncle Manoj Kumar Borthakur said that the family is seeking a thorough probe into the circumstances of his death
Silchar: The family members of singer Zubeen Garg have filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) branch of Assam Police to probe into his death in Singapore on September 19, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Though the family members are yet to respond to this, people familiar with the matter said Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur,had filed the complaint on Saturday through an email.
Borthakur on Sunday told the media that the family is seeking a thorough probe into the circumstances of his death.
Over 50 police complaints were lodged across Assam and in most of the complaints, Shyam Kanu Mahanta, the chief organiser of Northeast India Festival (NEIF), and Zubeen’s secretary Siddharth Sharma were named as accused. The state government initially transferred all the First Information Reports (FIR) regarding this matter to CID and also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate it.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday, during a Facebook live, asked Mahanta and Siddharth to appear before the police in Guwahati by October 6.
Sarma on Saturday said that if the SIT’s report turns out to be unsatisfactory, the state government would seek intervention from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CID has opened a fresh probe against financial fraud by Shyam Kanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma after lodging a case following the seizure of bundles of incriminating documents and items from Shyamkanu’s home during two raids since last Thursday.
This includes multiple PAN cards in the name of one firm, nearly 30 stamp seals of different companies and government officials, and documents related to several properties in the name of unknown persons, CID’s senior SP Ashif Ahmed told the media.
As per the CID’s FIR, several incriminating documents and articles were seized during the search operations which indicate serious financial irregularities, forgery, and use of fraudulent means for unlawful financial gains.
Further, 28 stamp seals were recovered from Mahanta’s office premises, which had forged bills in the name of various companies and many government officials. As per the CID’s FIR, several activities by Mahanta and his company were found illegal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Mahanta and Sharma are still absconding according to the police, and the chief minister said that lookout notices have been issued against them so that they cannot leave India. Additionally, all the bank accounts of Mahanta have been freezed, he said.
“We are in contact with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to monitor the movements of these people so that they cannot leave India and hide in a foreign country,” he added.
Zubeen’s death in Singapore sparked anger among the Assam residents and many people claimed that this was not an accidental death, but there was a conspiracy.
As per the death certificate issued by a Singapore hospital, Garg died of drowning. An additional autopsy was carried out at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on September 23, but the report is still awaited.
Sarma on Saturday said that viscera samples of the late singer had been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi to examine if he was poisoned.
