Himanta Biswa Sarma declares Zubeen was 'murdered', though probe still on

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, never one to let an investigation get in the way of a declaration, announced on Monday that cultural icon Zubeen Garg was “murdered” — even as the official probe remains very much underway and no foreign authority has said anything of the sort.

The celebrated singer, actor and composer died under unclear circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on 19 September. He had gone there to attend the fourth North East India Festival (NEIF), an event with long-standing proximity to the state’s cultural establishment.

“I am not terming it an accident. The chargesheet in Zubeen Garg’s murder case needs to be submitted by 17 December. I have set a target to submit it by 8 December. We are ready now,” Sarma told reporters in Assam's capital Guwahati — setting his own deadlines for a murder case that investigators are yet to confirm is, in fact, a murder.

The chief minister did not, however, offer any evidence or reasoning behind his conclusion. The Singapore Police Force (SPF), which is conducting an independent inquiry, has publicly stated that its preliminary findings show no indication of foul play, though it is yet to submit its final report.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the state CID is probing Garg’s death after more than 60 FIRs were filed across Assam — a measure of the shock and speculation surrounding the incident. Sarma said he has already approached Union home minister Amit Shah to expedite the necessary clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) so the state can file a chargesheet.

“If any incident takes place abroad, an approval is required from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Yesterday, I met Amit Shah to get an approval soon,” Sarma said, presenting the procedural step as little more than a formality.

But critics have pointed out that the investigation’s credibility could be undermined by Sarma’s own premature statements — and by the proximity of several accused to people within his political and cultural orbit.

Those arrested so far include NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, and two of his band members, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta — names well known within Assam’s state-sponsored arts and culture ecosystem.

Later, Garg’s cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg was taken into custody, followed by his personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya, after police detected transactions totalling over Rs 1.1 crore in their bank accounts.

All seven are now in judicial custody, facing charges under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.

Asked whether the state had financially supported the NEIF, Sarma tersely denied it — a claim that has drawn scepticism, given the event’s well-publicised association with his government over the years.

As the investigation continues, public demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe has grown steadily louder. Several political leaders, artists, and civil society groups in Assam have argued that only an independent central agency can conduct a credible investigation, free from state-level influence or personal loyalties.

Opposition figures have pointed to the chief minister’s statements and the arrest of individuals close to his administration as reasons to bring in an external agency. Social media campaigns calling for a CBI inquiry have also gathered momentum in recent weeks.

Sarma, however, has shown no sign of entertaining the idea, insisting that the state police are fully capable of delivering justice — even as he continues to pre-empt their findings.

While Guwahati’s political machinery spins its own narrative, the Singapore Police Force is quietly following its process. In a 17 October statement, it confirmed that no foul play has so far been detected and that a final report could take up to three more months, after which the findings will be submitted to the state coroner.

For now, Assam’s chief minister seems disinclined to wait that long. The man at the top has already reached his verdict — leaving his investigators to catch up, and his critics to wonder whether the pursuit of truth has once again been overtaken by the pursuit of headlines.

With PTI inputs