Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that the Gauhati High Court has cleared the formation of a judicial commission, led by Justice Soumitra Saikia, to investigate the death of singer Zubeen Garg. The commission will be formally constituted on Saturday, and the chief minister urged individuals with any information or evidence to come forward and assist the inquiry.
“Following our request, the Gauhati High Court has approved the constitution of a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia to probe Garg’s death. The commission will be constituted on Saturday. I urge all who have some evidence or incidents to share with the commission,” Sarma said on Friday during a Facebook live.
Bandmate And Co-Singer Arrested
The Assam Police on Thursday evening detained Zubeen Garg’s bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprava Mahanta in connection with the singer’s death.
Murder Charges Against Festival Organizer And Garg’s Manager
Additionally, the Assam Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has added murder charges against festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma.
Following Zubeen Garg’s death, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to investigate the case. The SIT has already questioned several individuals linked to the Singapore festival, including members of the Singapore Assam Association and attendees from India. Earlier, Mahanta and Goswami were summoned but allegedly did not cooperate, leading the police to issue a lookout notice against them.
According to reports, Garg developed breathing problems while swimming during a yacht trip and was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead. Singapore authorities initially listed “drowning” as the cause of death in the preliminary certificate. To ensure a thorough probe, the Assam government constituted a 10-member SIT headed by SDGP M.P. Gupta.
Zubeen Garg’s sudden death has drawn widespread public concern in Assam and across the region, with fans and civil society groups pressing for a fair and transparent investigation.