GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said some Singapore-based expatriate Assamese, who were with music icon Zubeen Garg during his last moments, were likely to join the investigation soon.
“We received positive signals from the Singapore-based Assamese. With the kind of mental pressure we are putting on them, I believe you will get good news within a day or two,” Sarma told the media.
There is a rising demand to bring these witnesses to Assam so their statements could be recorded to find out what exactly happened on September 19 when Garg died under mysterious circumstances while swimming at a sea in Singapore. He was there to perform at the 4th North East India Festival (NEIF) the next day.
The demand was raised by people as well as Garg’s family members even as the “Justice for Zubeen” chorus has kept resonating across Assam.
Only one of the 11 expatriates came to Assam to join the investigation, which is being carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department-Special Investigation Team (CID-SIT).
Sarma said, “I cannot share the details now but a good number of them has assured to cooperate with the investigation.” He also stated that Singapore police had sent some vital queries about Garg, and those were answered.
“We sent a request under MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty) to Singapore through the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking details of crime scene, statements etc,” the chief minister said.
“The Singapore police are equally active like us in the investigation. They want to give us a proper report after conducting the inquiry,” he further said.
The CID-SIT has recorded the statements of a large number of people. This process has continued.
Seven persons have been arrested so far. They are NEIF organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, DSP cousin Sandipan Garg, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, personal security officers Nandeswar Bora, Paresh Baishya, and singer Amrit Prabha Mahanta.
Goswami claimed Garg was poisoned by Sharma and the NEIF organiser. The first autopsy conducted in Singapore mentioned death by drowning. Later, a second autopsy was conducted at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The viscera report, received from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, is now with the GMCH for examination. The reports of the second autopsy and viscera have not been disclosed.
