The Union Home Ministry granted sanction on Tuesday to Assam Police to prosecute suspects in the suspicious death of renowned Assamese singer-composer Zubeen Garg, enabling the filing of a chargesheet by December 10. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the approval, received from Home Minister Amit Shah under Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which mandates central clearance for crimes committed abroad. Garg, a 52-year-old cultural icon known for his contributions to music, poetry, film, and regional cinema, died on September 19, 2025, while swimming off St. John's Island in Singapore during a cultural event. Initial Singaporean authorities ruled it an accidental drowning with no foul play, but public outcry and family complaints prompted a deeper probe amid allegations of poisoning and conspiracy.

A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) from the Assam Police's Criminal Investigation Department has been leading the murder inquiry since late September, interrogating over 160 individuals and securing autopsy, toxicology, and viscera reports from Singaporean counterparts by late October. The team, headed by Special Director General of Police (CID) MP Gupta, has arrested seven persons to date, including Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma, cousin and suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandipan Garg, North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, band drummer Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, co-singer Amritprava Mahanta, and two Assam Police security officers Nandeshwar Bora and Paresh Baishya. One arrestee, Goswami, alleged in police documents that Sharma and Mahanta poisoned Garg, though all deny involvement and claim cooperation.

The sanction paves the way for a timely court submission, with Sarma reaffirming the government's commitment to swift justice while cautioning against diversions from other state priorities. A parallel judicial commission, established by the Assam government, continues to oversee the probe, with potential involvement from agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department for financial angles. Singapore Police, in an October statement, shared preliminary findings with the Indian High Commission and noted ongoing investigations under their Coroners Act, potentially leading to a public inquiry.

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Garg's 53rd birth anniversary on Tuesday drew widespread tributes across Assam and the Northeast, including cultural programs, mass sing-alongs of his hits like "O Mur Apunar Desh," blood donation drives, and cycle rallies organised by political parties and student groups such as the All Assam Students' Union. The outpouring reflects his enduring legacy as a voice of Assamese pride, whose untimely death—initially misreported as a scuba diving accident—sparked statewide shutdowns, school closures, and demands for transparency in September. As the case advances, it underscores the complexities of cross-border investigations and the profound grief enveloping a region that viewed Garg as its musical heartbeat.

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