Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pays homage to the mortal remains of popular singer Zubeen Garg.
Credit: X/ @CMOfficeAssam
Guwahati: Assam police on Wednesday constituted a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the circumstances leading to sudden death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore on September 19.
The SIT headed by special director general of police, CID, MP Gupta has been asked to carry out the Investigation in transparent and time-bound manner.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa issued an order to form an SIT. Sarma said the government would not spare anyone found responsible for Garg's death. He said the viscera samples of Garg will be sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory, Delhi, for detailed examination and that the SIT will have full freedom to investigate the case with complete professional integrity.
The SIT was constituted following suspicion of foul play in his death in a sea in Singapore while swimming with his friends and associates. At least 54 FIRs were filed across Assam seeking a thorough investigation, following which the CM ordered for a CID investigation.
Garg, 52, a singer, musician, lyricist, actor and filmmaker, was in Singapore to perform in the Northeast Festival between September 19 and 22. The festival was organised by a firm run by Shyamkanu Mahanta, an Assamese entrepreneur based in Guwahati. Many questioned why Garg was allowed to go to the sea despite his poor health condition and doctor's advice to stay away from water and fire. Zubeen had seizure problem.
Most of the FIRs named Mahanta and Zubeen's manager Siddharth Sharma as accused responsible for the singer's death. There is no information about the duo's whereabouts since then.
Garg's death led to unprecedented outpouring of emotions and anger across the state with lakhs converging in Guwahati to pay their last tributes. His last rites were performed near Sonapur in the outskirts of Guwahati on Tuesday.
The SIT was formed on a day Garg's wife and a prominent fashion designer, Garima Saikia Garg, said she has faith in the police and the state government regarding investigation into the iconic singer's death.
CM Sarma on Wednesday morning announced that the government prohibited Mahanta's firm and any events organised by him. The government will also not provide any grant, sponsorship or advertisements to any events associated with Mahanta, who is the brother of former DGP, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta.