A probe into the death of legendary singer Zubeen Garg remains underway, but Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that that cultural icon was murdered in Singapore.
“I am not terming it an accident,” he said in Tezpur. Sarma did not share further details about the case or the kind of evidence that establishes the death as murder.
The chargesheet in the case registered on murder charges needs to be submitted by December 17. "I have set a target to submit it by December 8. We are ready now," Sarma told reporters.
The singer died under allegedly mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19. He had gone to the Southeast Asian nation to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).
Zubeen Garg death: Where's the investigation at?
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Assam Police is currently probing Garg's death case after more than 60 FIRs were lodged across the state.
On the process of filing the chargesheet, Sarma said, "If any incident takes place abroad, an approval is required from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Yesterday, I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to get an approval soon."
{{/usCountry}}On the process of filing the chargesheet, Sarma said, "If any incident takes place abroad, an approval is required from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Yesterday, I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to get an approval soon."
{{/usCountry}}He said the SIT is likely to write to the MHA within the next three to four days, seeking necessary approval. "Then, we will file the chargesheet," the CM said.
NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, and his two band members, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, were apprehended in the case.
Later, Garg's cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg was arrested in connection with the singer's death. Garg's security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya were also arrested after police found huge financial transactions, worth over ₹1.1 crore, from their accounts.
All seven arrested people are now in judicial custody. They were booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
What Singapore police said
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is also carrying out an investigation into the incident of Garg's alleged drowning.
In a statement on October 17, the SPF said that the preliminary investigations have not indicated any foul play in Garg's death.
It also said that investigations may take up to another three months, after which the findings will be submitted to the state coroner for further proceedings.
(with PTI inputs)