GUWAHATI: A two-member Assam Police team will travel to Singapore on October 20 in connection with the ongoing probe into the mysterious death of singer Zubeen Garg in the island country.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said Singapore Police authorities would meet the Assam Police team, led by Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, on October 21.
“Our collective resolve remains. Justice for Zubeen will prevail,” the CM stated.
The development comes a day after CM Sarma met the Acting High Commissioner of Singapore Alice Cheng, in New Delhi.
Special DGP Gupta said the Assam Police received a communication from the Singapore government on the visit. He added that the investigation in Singapore was necessary as the incident occurred there.
“It’s a positive development in the investigation that we have received permission to visit Singapore. It will help us to take the probe forward in consultations with officials concerned there and finish it on time,” Gupta said.
The Assam Police faced criticism from various quarters for not visiting Singapore during the course of investigation. However, Sarma and Gupta had clarified that the police of one country could not travel to another country to conduct a probe without its consent.
This is the reason why the Assam Police had sent a request under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to Singapore through the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking permission to conduct a probe there.
Garg had died while swimming at a sea on September 19. He travelled to Singapore to attend the 4th North East India Festival (NEIF).
Till yesterday (October 15), the Assam Police recorded the statements of 10 of the 11 Singapore-based Assamese expats who were on the yacht with the singer during his last moments.
Meanwhile, the situation in the Mushalpur area of Baksa district remained under control on Thursday, a day after the protestors had clashed with the police when five accused were being taken to the Baksa Central Jail at the end of their 14-day police remand.
The incident, which occurred right outside the jail, had left over 20 people – police personnel, journalists and civilians – injured. After the violence, authorities clamped prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS and suspended mobile internet services temporarily in the district. Security in and around the jail was also heightened.
The five accused lodged in the jail are NEIF organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, DSP cousin Sandipan Garg and personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya. Two others arrested in connection with the death are Garg’s bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amrit Prabha Mahanta.
