Zubeen Garg (L) and Himanta Biswa Sarma (R).
Credit: PTI Photos
Guwahati: "It was a plain and simple murder case," Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma told the state Assembly during an "unprecedented" adjournment motion on Tuesday.
Sarma also claimed that investigation so far revealed that one of the accused killed the cultural icon while four others assisted in the crime.
"On the day three after the incident, it was clear that it was not a case of culpable homicide. It was a plain and simple murder case. So, we urged the court to add the Section 103 of BNS in the case," Sarma said.
Garg, the iconic singer, musician, actor and film maker, died in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in a sea during a yacht party. He was 52.
Initially, it was suspected to be a case of mishap but police added murder charge after Garg's bandmate Sekhar Jyoti Goswami alleged that the singer was poisoned by his manager Siddharth Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore. Garg was in Singapore to attend the festival.
"All the five accused are in judicial custody and the SIT is preparing a watertight chargesheet, which will be submitted in the court on December 8," he said.
Adjournment motion
Sarma made the claim during an adjournment motion of the winter session, which was seperately moved by Debabrata Saikia, the leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA, and Akhil Gogoi, Sivasagar MLA and president of Raijor Dal, a regional party.
Unlike the adjournment motions normally moved by the Opposition, ruling BJP MLAs did not oppose it. "It is unprecedented as both the Opposition and the ruling party are supporting the adjournment motion," Sarma said.
Apart from Siddharth and Shyamkanu, Zubeen's DSP brother Sandipan and his bandmates, Sekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta are in judicial custody. All five were with Zubeen in Singapore.
Talking about the motif behind the alleged murder, CM said evidences suggested financial reasons.
"People will be shocked to know about the motive behind the murder after the chargesheet is submitted. Along with the murder case, investigation is going on allegations of criminal breach of trust and negligence. The reasons leading to the murder started even during the Covid period," Sarma said.
The Opposition parties demanded investigation by CBI but Sarma rejected the demand. An SIT is investigating into the case.