Singapore Witnesses Ready to Assist Assam Police in Zubeen Garg Death Probe: CM

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sunday that several Singapore-based expatriate Assamese individuals—witnesses to the final moments of beloved singer Zubeen Garg—are poised to cooperate with the ongoing investigation into his tragic death. Garg, the 52-year-old cultural icon affectionately known as "Zubeen Da," the "Voice of Assam," drowned under suspicious circumstances on September 19, 2025, while swimming off St. John's Island in Singapore, just a day before he was set to headline the 4th North East India Festival (NEIF).

Sarma, speaking to reporters amid mounting demands from fans and Garg's grieving family, revealed that his administration's diplomatic and psychological leverage is yielding results. "We received positive signals from the Singapore-based Assamese. With the kind of mental pressure we are putting on them, I believe you will get good news within a day or two," he stated confidently. The CM emphasized that only one of the 11 key expatriates has so far traveled to Assam to provide a statement to the Criminal Investigation Department-Special Investigation Team (CID-SIT). However, he hinted at breakthroughs, noting, "I cannot share the details now but a good number of them has assured to cooperate with the investigation."

The push for these witnesses' involvement stems from a groundswell of calls to summon them under legal provisions, allowing their testimonies to be formally recorded in Assam. This comes as the "Justice for Zubeen" movement continues to echo through streets, social media, and cultural gatherings statewide. Garg's wife, Garima Saikia Garg, and sister, Palme Borthakur, have been vocal in their pleas for transparency, filing complaints with the Assam CID and demanding a full accounting of the events leading to his demise. Fans, still reeling from the shock, have organized digital tributes, candlelight vigils, and protests, with many questioning how an expert swimmer like Garg could succumb to drowning without external factors at play.

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Garg's death sent shockwaves through Assam, prompting a three-day statewide mourning period in late September. Schools closed, markets shuttered, and thousands gathered outside his Guwahati home in Kahilipara to pay homage. Born Zubeen Borthakur in 1972 in Meghalaya's Tura, he rose from humble beginnings in Jorhat to become a multifaceted superstar over three decades—blending soulful Assamese folk with Bollywood hits, composing over 5,000 songs, acting in films, and even directing. Tracks like "Morom Dixou" and "O Mur Apunar Kotha" became anthems of Assamese pride, while his advocacy for social causes, environmentalism, and youth empowerment cemented his legacy as a selfless influencer. "Assam lost one of its favourite sons," Sarma had lamented at the time, ordering a high-level probe to quell speculation.

The initial Singapore autopsy ruled the death as drowning with no foul play, but doubts persisted after media reports mistakenly claimed it occurred during scuba diving. Upon Garg's body being flown back, a second post-mortem was swiftly conducted at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on September 23—just hours before his state-honored cremation in Kamrup district—to address public outcry and ensure transparency. The viscera report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory is now under examination at GMCH, though results remain sealed per legal protocols. Sarma noted that Singapore police, equally invested, have shared vital documents via a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) request routed through India's Ministry of Home Affairs. "We sent a request... seeking details of crime scene, statements etc. The Singapore police are equally active like us in the investigation. They want to give us a proper report after conducting the inquiry," he added.

Fueling the fire are explosive allegations from within Garg's inner circle. Arrested bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami sensationally claimed in police remand documents that Garg was deliberately poisoned by his manager, Siddharth Sharma, and NEIF organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta—administering a substance that impaired him during the swim. Goswami, an expert swimmer himself, insisted the icon "could not have died due to drowning" naturally. These accusations have led to seven arrests so far: Sharma, Mahanta, Garg's DSP cousin Sandipan Garg, bandmate Goswami, personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, and fellow singer Amrit Prabha Mahanta. All deny wrongdoing and are cooperating, with Sharma and Mahanta remanded for 14 days after being nabbed in Delhi's NCR region.

The CID-SIT, a nine-member unit led by Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta, has grilled dozens of associates, including those from the Assam Association Singapore who accompanied Garg. To deepen the scrutiny, the Assam government has established a one-man judicial commission, with potential involvement from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (I-T) departments to probe financial angles tied to the festival. Singapore authorities handed over the preliminary autopsy and findings to the Indian High Commission on October 3, advising against circulating graphic images out of respect. A coroner's inquiry there could further illuminate the sequence of events.

As the probe intensifies, old family friend and musician Rahul Gautam Sharma captured the collective exhaustion: "The mystery and confusion have become very tiresome. We want to know what really happened—and that's all. We want justice." With expatriate testimonies on the horizon, Assam holds its breath, hoping for closure on the enigma that robbed it of a son whose voice united generations. The saga, blending grief with intrigue, underscores Garg's enduring hold: even in death, he commands a state's undivided attention.

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