Guwahati: The Guwahati High Court has accepted the Assam government’s request to form a judicial commission to investigate the death of renowned cultural icon and singer Zubeen Garg.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced today that High Court judge Justice Soumitra Saikia will head the commission.
Sarma appealed to the public to approach the judicial commission with any information they or Garg’s family might find suspicious regarding the singer’s death.
The development comes as the investigation, being handled by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), progresses rapidly. Zubeen Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, recorded her statement today before a chief judicial magistrate in connection with the First Information Report (FIR).
Arrests and Custody
The CID’s special investigation team (SIT) has secured a significant step in the case. Today, the SIT produced two arrested individuals—Garg’s band member Sekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprava Mahanta—before a chief judicial magistrate in Guwahati. The court subsequently sent both to the CID’s custody for 14 days.
SIT head and Assam’s Special DGP MP Gupta confirmed the commitment to a detailed investigation. “Two more arrested people have been sent to 14-day custody. We are interrogating them, and trying to establish what exactly happened. We are committed to conducting a detailed investigation and we have fast-tracked the investigation,” Gupta told reporters.
The SIT has already begun the process of cross-checking the statements given by the arrested individuals against that of Garg’s manager, Siddartha Sarma.
International Cooperation and Autopsy Reports
Chief Minister Sarma confirmed that the state government has received the first autopsy report on Zubeen Garg’s death from the authorities in Singapore, where the incident occurred. He stated that this report has been handed over to Garima Garg. A second autopsy report from the Gauhati Medical College is also expected to be delivered to the family soon.
Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika emphasized the state’s determination to pursue the truth, including seeking cooperation from abroad. “Zubeen Garg was the soul of Assam. Those responsible won’t be spared,” Hazarika told NDTV. “Our Home Department is working very hard to get the non-resident Indians (NRIs), who took the same yacht as Zubeen Garg in Singapore, to join the investigation. The SIT is working relentlessly. People will hear good news in the investigation very soon.”