Assam LoP writes to President Murmu seeking CBI probe by HC judge into Zubeen Garg's death

Guwahati (Assam) [India], September 24 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, demanding a CBI probe led by a High Court judge to aid the Assam CID in investigating the sudden demise of Assam's cultural icon Zubeen Garg.
Zubeen Garg passed away in Singapore on September 19 after an alleged drowning incident. His body was flown to Delhi and later transported to Assam on a commercial flight that landed in Guwahati on Sunday morning. Garg was in Singapore for the Northeast India Festival.
In his letter, Saikia described Garg as not just a singer but a "revolutionary voice of resistance against government policies which made him a potential target for elimination".
Saikia also wrote that Garg was a fierce opponent of the CAA 2019 and recalled his defiant statement, "I will die but won't allow the Citizenship Amendment Act in Assam." He also wrote about Garg's role in anti-CAA protests, his compositions of protest songs, and his criticism of environmental destruction.
Saikia further wrote that while the Assam government has initiated a CID probe, jurisdictional challenges make it difficult for the state police to investigate events that occurred in Singapore.
"The investigation is entirely dependent on diplomatic channels that are beyond the capacity of the state government, and it is unable to coordinate international evidence collection without central support," he further wrote.
The letter also highlighted troubling preliminary evidence suggesting coercion before Garg's departure. According to Saikia, the singer confided to close associates that he was under pressure to travel to Singapore with limited companionship, breaking his usual travel pattern and leaving him without his regular protective oversight.
Further concerns were raised about festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who allegedly gave contradictory statements. While pre-incident promotional materials claimed Garg "would participate" in the festival, Mahanta later stated he had come "only to take rest." There were also discrepancies in accounts about scuba diving versus swimming, and denials of knowledge about the yacht outing where Garg's fatal swimming incident occurred.
Moreover, Saikia pointed to Garg's well-documented seizure disorder, which required restrictions from water activities, "a fact confirmed by his wife," the letter said.
"Despite this, he was encouraged to swim without a life jacket during his second attempt, with no family protection present to monitor his medical restrictions. A fatal seizure occurred exactly as his medical history would predict," he further wrote.
The Assam LoP further wrote that the sequence of events reveals systematic planning: coercion, restricted travel arrangements, isolation from family, contradictions by organisers, and others suggest "a calculated elimination of Assam's most powerful voice of resistance."
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Wednesday that he has instructed the State Director General of Police (DGP) to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the untimely demise of singer and Assam's cultural icon, Zubeen Garg.
Taking to his X handle, Assam's CM Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that the SIT will have full freedom to investigate the case with complete professional integrity.
He wrote, "In regard to the untimely death of our beloved Zubeen Garg, we will not spare anyone. Today, I had a meeting with the @DGPAssamPolice and the ADGP, CID along with senior officers including Chief Secretary, Assam. I have instructed the DGP to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) with the best officers of Assam Police."
"The viscera samples will be sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFL), Delhi, for detailed examination. The SIT will have full freedom to investigate the case with complete professional integrity," added CM Sarma. (ANI)