Assam CID To Investigate Singer Zubeen Garg’s Death In Singapore
FIRs consolidated for CID probe; the body to reach Guwahati after state mourning is declared.
The Assam Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been tasked with probing the circumstances surrounding the death of renowned Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that all First Information Reports (FIRs) related to the case will be transferred to the CID for a consolidated and thorough investigation. Garg, a 52-year-old cultural icon known for his contributions to Assamese music, film, and social causes, died on Friday while swimming in the sea without a life jacket, according to the Chief Minister.
Garg was in Singapore to attend the three-day Northeast India Festival, scheduled to begin on Friday, which was subsequently cancelled following his untimely death. Multiple FIRs have been filed against festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg's manager, Siddhartha Sharma. The first FIR, lodged at Morigaon police station, alleges a conspiracy where the accused took Garg abroad under the pretext of a performance with the intent to kill him. Sarma has also requested a detailed inquiry from Singapore authorities, having spoken to the Singapore High Commissioner in India, Simon Wong.
In response, Mahanta denied any wrongdoing, stating that Garg attended the event voluntarily as a prominent figure from the Northeast, not as a performer. He refuted claims circulating on social media, including videos suggesting Garg had already performed in Singapore, emphasising that the festival had not yet started at the time of the incident. Mahanta accused certain groups of spreading a false narrative to tarnish the event's reputation.
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A state mourning period has been declared in Assam from September 20 to 22, during which no official entertainment, dinners, or ceremonial functions will occur. Garg's post-mortem was completed at a Singapore hospital and handed over to his team via the Indian High Commission. His body is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi this evening, where Sarma will receive it, before being flown to Guwahati on a special flight by 6 a.m. tomorrow.
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