Zubeen Garg Death Not Accidental, Claims Assam CM; Murder Probe Launched
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says singer Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore was a murder; a judicial commission and SIT probe have been ordered to deliver a chargesheet by early December.
GUWAHATI- In a dramatic development in Assam’s cultural and political sphere, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claims that the death of celebrated singer Zubeen Garg was not a drowning “accident” but a deliberate act of murder. According to news agency PTI.
Garg, aged 52, had died on September 19 2025 while swimming off Sentosa Island, Singapore, during a trip linked to the North East India Festival. At the time, the death had been labelled as drowning and accidental by the Singapore authorities.
According to Sarma, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is probing the case, and a chargesheet has been slated for submission by December 8, ahead of a broader deadline of December 17. He confirmed that because the incident occurred abroad, approval from the Union Home Ministry is required.
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At least seven arrests have already been made, including festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma. They face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
The bearer of these events is drawn into the wider political context: analysts see the case as a test of governance in Assam amid the run‐up to the 2026 assembly elections, with the ruling party facing pressure over both cultural and identity issues.
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Opposition voices have responded strongly. Akhil Gogoi of Raijor Dal accused the government of “politicising” the case and turning it into a spectacle for electoral advantage, calling for an independent central agency investigation.
The judicial commission, as ordered by the Chief Minister, will examine all dimensions of the case — including the Singapore connection, the role of the festival and event management, and any procedural lapses in the original investigation. The outcome of this inquiry could reshape both the criminal case and Assam’s political narrative.
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For the people of Assam, Garg’s death had already triggered widespread grief, as he was one of the region’s most prominent cultural ambassadors. The elevation of the case to a homicide probe has added weight to demands for accountability and transparency.
As the December timeline approaches, all eyes will be on how the SIT navigates the international legal terrain, gathers admissible evidence, and delivers a credible chargesheet — and whether the public will regard the outcome as justice served.
