Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday told the state assembly that the death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore was “not an accident” but “a clear case of murder,” asserting that investigators have already identified the person who allegedly killed him and several others who aided the act.
Sarma said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has added murder charges within days of the incident and is preparing what he described as a “watertight” chargesheet, expected to be filed in December.
Seven people have been arrested so far, 252 witnesses examined and 29 items seized, he informed the House.
The chief minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, said the police initially registered a case of culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy a day after Garg’s death on September 19.
Garg drowned while swimming off the Singapore coast, where he had travelled to attend the North East India Festival.
However, Sarma said that early findings convinced investigators that the incident was “not negligence, nor rash behaviour,” but “murder, plain and simple,” prompting the inclusion of Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to him, the alleged motive—linked to financial matters—would “shock the people of Assam”, and the inquiry would span events from nearly eight years ago.
He emphasised that “no one who betrayed Zubeen will be spared.”
Sarma opened the discussion after the Speaker allowed an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition—an unusual step he said reflected the government’s seriousness on the issue.
He rebutted Opposition criticism about procedural lapses, insisting the investigation was rigorous and that demoralising officers before the chargesheet was filed would be unfair.
Post-mortem findings in Singapore, he added, were largely confirmed by experts at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, where a second examination took place.
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The chief minister rejected demands for a CBI inquiry, but said he was open to a House Committee review if gaps were later found in the chargesheet.
On the proposal for a posthumous Bharat Ratna for Garg, he said all 126 MLAs would back it if brought separately.
As the Speaker prepared to move to the next agenda item, Congress MLAs staged a brief walkout claiming the discussion had not been formally concluded.
Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi was suspended and escorted out after protesting inside the House with a placard.
