The family of the late popular singer Zubeen Garg has officially filed a complaint with the Assam Criminal Investigation Department (CID), seeking a thorough investigation into the singer’s death. According to news agency PTI, Zubeen’s wife, Garima Saikia, his sister, Palme Borthakur, and his uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur, have jointly signed the complaint. The singer passed away in Singapore on September 19 at the age of 52, with initial reports suggesting drowning as the cause of death.
Manoj Kumar Borthakur informed PTI that the complaint was submitted via email on Saturday. He stated, “We want a thorough probe into the circumstances of his death.” A senior police official confirmed the receipt of the complaint and indicated that it is currently under examination. The official also mentioned that the CID’s Special Investigating Team (SIT) is already investigating the events leading up to the singer’s death in Singapore.
An SIT team visited Zubeen Garg’s residence in Guwahati on Sunday to gather more information and record statements from his family members. This development comes shortly after Garima Garg Saikia publicly appealed for all legal cases against Zubeen Garg’s manager, Siddharth Sharma, to be dropped. In a video message, she had expressed her hope for cooperation in completing Zubeen’s unfinished work, requesting the withdrawal of all FIRs against Sharma.
Previously, on September 25, SIT and CID teams had conducted raids at the residences of Siddharth Sharma, musician Sekhar Jyoti Goswami, and Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organizer of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore where Zubeen Garg was present. Several items, including electronic devices and documents, were seized during these raids. Look-out notices have also been issued against Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma, who have been summoned to appear before the CID office in Guwahati by October 6. Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has warned of necessary actions if they fail to comply.
Zubeen Garg, a renowned singer and composer, was in Singapore for the Northeast India Festival when the alleged drowning incident occurred. His mortal remains were flown to Delhi and subsequently transported to Guwahati. The final rites were performed in his home village of Kamarkuchi, Assam, on September 23.