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SIT charge sheet in Zubeen Garg case to be filed by late Nov-early Dec: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government will ask the Gauhati High Court to set up a fast-track court to decide on iconic singer Zubeen Garg’s death case
SILCHAR: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the state cabinet has decided to ask the Gauhati High Court to set up a fast-track court to conduct day-to-day hearings in the Zubeen Garg death case.
Sarma said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case would submit its charge sheet by the end of November or in the first week of December, and the trial would begin. A special public prosecutor will also be appointed for the case to ensure a swift and transparent trial, he said.
The SIT, formed after Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore on September 19, has arrested seven people, including the singer’s cousin and a senior Assam Police officer.
Sarma said the Assam government had earlier appealed to the Singapore government to allow state police officials to visit that country for investigation. “I met external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday and also had a meeting with the Singapore high commissioner. They have certain rules regarding investigations, and because of that, there was a communication gap. But with the help of our external affairs minister, we are now able to send our team there,” he said.
The chief minister said that a team of senior police officials will reach Singapore on October 20 and meet the Singapore police authorities on October 21.
“Another step forward towards justice for our beloved Zubeen. The Singapore Police authorities will meet the Assam Police team led by Sri Munna Gupta, ADGP and head of SIT, on 21st October,” Sarma wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Our team will travel to Singapore on 20th October accordingly. Our collective resolve remains — Justice for Zubeen will prevail.”
4 lawyers inducted into judicial commission
Four additional members have been inducted into the judicial commission headed by Gauhati High Court judge Justice Soumitra Saikia, which was mandated to monitor the police probe.
Apart from Justice Saikia, the five-member commission includes additional public prosecutor Samudragupta Dutta and advocates Pallav Kakati, Arnav Biswas, and Bhaskar Sharma.
According to Sarma, it is for the first time in Assam that a judicial commission headed by a sitting high court judge has been constituted to identify any lapses or procedural errors in the SIT investigation.
Baksa violence probe
Two persons have been arrested in connection with the violence that broke out in Baksa district on Wednesday during the transfer of five accused in the Zubeen Garg case.
Sarma said that nine people have been identified through video footage so far, including a doubtful voter (D-voter). Those identified are Nurul Alam, Sibjal Ali, Sahidul, Ahela Miya (D-voter), Ramiz Ali, Ashique, Hara Krishna Pathak (former AASU member), Mohidul Islam and Mustaq Ahmed (both members of the All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union – ABMSU).
Baksa senior superintendent of police Ujjal Pratim Baruah said 25 police personnel were injured, five of them grievously, after a mob of around 150 people attacked the convoy carrying the accused from Guwahati to Baksa.
“At around 10:30 am, the court ordered the judicial remand and asked the police to keep them outside Guwahati. We had kept some jails ready and chose Baksa because it was comparatively peaceful,” Sarma said.
He added that people who gathered at the site were initially peaceful but they were later provoked by social media posts. “The state government will mention these in an affidavit before the court. Police didn’t initiate the lathi-charge, but their actions will be investigated because bullets were fired. Two locals sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment — doctors have said they are improving,” he said.
At Thursday’s cabinet meeting, the government also decided to form a committee to oversee the construction of the Zubeen Garg Memorial, which has been open to the public for the past month.
The committee includes Garima Garg (Zubeen’s wife), Pamee Borthakur, Shyamta Gautam, Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Biren Singha, Pranjal Saikia, Anuradha Sharma Borpujari, Pulak Banerjee, Dulal Manki, Torali Sharma, and Sudharshan Thakur. The panel will finalise the design and supervise the construction of the memorial site, the chief minister said.
Rahul Gandhi to meet Zubeen’s family
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet Zubeen’s family members in Guwahati on Friday and also visit the singer’s funeral site, Assam Congress leaders said.
Sarma took a swipe at the Congress leader. “Rahul Gandhi has remembered Zubeen after 28 days of his death. At least a Congress leader is coming for Zubeen Garg — something they didn’t do even after Bhupen Hazarika’s death. I’m happy he is coming, but I wished Rahul or Priyanka Gandhi had attended Zubeen’s last rites.”
The chief minister said he would only go to Zubeen’s house during Rahul Gandhi’s visit if he received an invitation.
