Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Monday that singer Zubeen Garg was murdered in Singapore a month-and-a-half ago.
The celebrated singer died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19. The 52-year-old Zubeen had travelled to the island nation to attend the North East India Festival.
Biswa Sarma said that the special investigation team (SIT) of Assam Police’s criminal investigation department (CID), which is probing Zubeen’s death, will submit its chargesheet by December 8.
“I won’t term his death as an accident anymore. The SIT is supposed to submit the chargesheet of Zubeen Garg’s murder case on December 18. I have given them a target of December 8. We are prepared in all aspects in that regard,” Biswa Sarma told mediapersons in Tezpur.
The Assam CM added that since Zubeen passed away outside India, a permission is needed from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to carry out the processes involved in the case. The SIT will formally request to MHA within the next few days.
NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma, and his two band members — Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta — were arrested.
Zubeen’s cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg was later taken into custody.
Thereafter, Zubeen’s PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya were also arrested after police found huge financial transactions, worth over Rs 1.1 crore, from their accounts.
All seven arrested persons are currently in judicial custody. They were booked under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
Singapore Police Force (SPF) is also carrying out an independent investigation to identify the circumstances leading to Zubeen’s death.
SPF said in a statement on October 17 that the preliminary investigation has not indicated any foul play in Zubeen’s death.