Assam Mourns Zubeen Garg’s Passing

A State in Mourning: The Unanswered Questions Surrounding Zubeen Garg's Death

The heart of Assam, a state pulsating with culture and music, seems to have skipped a beat. A profound silence has descended, a stark contrast to the vibrant melodies that once defined it. This quiet grief is for Zubeen Garg, a singer, composer, and cultural personality whose sudden death in Singapore has left a void that reverberates through the valleys and plains of north-east India. What began as a tragic accident is now a complex and murky affair, entangled in claims of conspiracy, financial irregularities, and murder, leaving a state and its people grappling for answers. The investigation has become a multi-jurisdictional challenge, a litmus test for the government, and a source of deep-seated public anger.

The initial shock of Garg’s drowning on 19 September has morphed into a sustained wave of suspicion and outrage. His journey to Singapore for the North East India Festival, where he was slated to perform, ended in tragedy before he could take the stage. The 52-year-old artist, often hailed as Assam's first true rock star, was an artist who transcended singing; he was the voice of a generation, a flamboyant and defiant figure who captured the spirit of his homeland. His loss is not just the silencing of a cherished artist but the dimming of a cultural beacon, and his millions of fans are unwilling to let his memory fade into a simple narrative of an accidental drowning.

A Nation’s Farewell and a Rising Tide of Anger

The massive display of sorrow after Garg’s death was immense. For days, Assam, his native state, came to a virtual standstill. Schools closed, markets were deserted, and a collective mourning settled over the region. His body lay at a public stadium in Guwahati for two days, allowing vast crowds of devoted followers to offer their final respects. The cremation was a state affair, featuring the ceremonial firing of 21 guns, attended by a crowd exceeding one million people chanting verses from his best-loved tunes. Tributes flowed from across the country, with Narendra Modi, India's Prime Minister, calling him a "bright gem."

However, beneath the sorrow, a current of anger was steadily building. His supporters and followers, struggling to accept the official narrative, began demanding greater transparency from the authorities. The details surrounding his passing, during a boat excursion near St John's Island, seemed too simple, too mundane for a figure of his stature. This public discontent quickly translated into action, with more than 60 police complaints filed across Assam. The initial reports from Singaporean police, which ruled out foul play, did little to quell the growing unease. Assam's populace demanded more than a preliminary finding; they wanted a thorough and exhaustive investigation into the final moments of their treasured figure.

The Investigation Unfolds: Arrests and Allegations

The Assam state government, facing immense public pressure, moved to demonstrate its commitment to uncovering the truth. A Special Investigation Team, or SIT, with nine members, led by the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), was swiftly formed to probe the death. The case, initially registered as an accident, soon saw the inclusion of serious charges, including a form of homicide not classified as murder, criminal conspiracy, and death by negligence. As the investigation deepened, the SIT escalated the charges to include murder against certain key individuals involved.

The first to be arrested were those who were with Garg in Singapore: his manager, Siddharth Sharma, and the event's producer, Shyamkanu Mahanta. They were apprehended in Delhi and brought back to Assam. Soon after, two of Garg's bandmates, Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta, who were also aboard the vessel, were detained by police. The arrests did not stop there. In a significant development, the SIT arrested Sandipan Garg, a high-ranking Assam Police officer and the singer's cousin, who had accompanied him to Singapore. The net widened further with the arrest of two of Garg's long-serving Personal Security Officers (PSOs), Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, bringing the total number of arrests to seven.

A Tangled Web of Financial Irregularities

The investigation took a dramatic turn with the discovery of significant financial transactions connected with the arrested individuals. The SIT uncovered that over one crore rupees had been transacted through the bank accounts of the two PSOs, an amount far exceeding their known sources of income. Investigators found approximately 70 lakh rupees in one account and 45 lakh in another. This discovery of potential financial misconduct added a new, complex layer to the case, prompting the involvement of central agencies.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state's Chief Minister, confirmed that the government had requested the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department to probe the financial angle of the case. The SIT also found multiple bank accounts belonging to the producer of the event, Shyamkanu Mahanta, and seized documents from his home that indicated potential financial irregularities. These accounts have since been frozen. While Garima Saikia Garg, the singer's spouse, explained that her husband had given money to his PSOs for social work and that they kept records of these transactions, the sheer volume of the funds raised serious questions and fuelled speculation about a deeper conspiracy.

The Poisoning Theory and a Wife's Plea for Truth

The narrative of a simple drowning was further challenged by explosive allegations from within Garg's own circle. Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, the arrested bandmate, claimed that the singer was poisoned in Singapore and that a conspiracy was hatched to portray his death as an accident. This startling claim resonated with a public already suspicious of the official account. The state government responded by sending Garg's viscera samples to the national forensic lab in New Delhi for an analysis for toxins to determine if poison was involved.

Amid the swirling theories and accusations, Garima Saikia Garg has demonstrated great resilience, consistently demanding a fair and transparent investigation. She has urged eyewitnesses to step up and share the truth, appealing for the matter not to be politicised. While expressing faith in the legal system, she has voiced her suspicion that those who were with her husband have not yet been truthful. She has also raised crucial questions about the care provided to her husband, who required medication for health issues known to his entourage. Her poignant social media posts, questioning the details surrounding his passing and calling for justice, have amplified the public's demand for answers.

Image Credit by GPhoto15, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A Political Firestorm in an Election Year

With assembly elections looming next year, the tragedy has inevitably evolved into a matter heavy with political implications. The state’s ruling BJP, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the opposition Congress have levelled accusations at one another for politicising the passing of a cultural figurehead. The Chief Minister has been personally invested in the case, addressing the public directly through online platforms while promising to secure a just outcome. He has gone as far as to declare that if his government fails to bring the culprits to book, the citizens of Assam should punish the BJP at the polls.

The opposition, meanwhile, has criticised the government's handling of the investigation, with some leaders calling for a CBI probe, suggesting a lack of faith in the regional law enforcement. This political tug-of-war has intensified the public scrutiny of the case. The government's blacklisting of the producer of the event, Shyamkanu Mahanta, and the launch of a separate probe into his alleged misappropriation of government funds have been seen by some as a move to distance the administration from an individual with known links to powerful figures. The case has become a volatile mix of public grief, political maneuvering, and a relentless quest for the truth.

The International Dimension and the Path Forward

The investigation faces a significant hurdle due to its international dimension. Several key witnesses, members of the Assam Association in Singapore who were aboard the vessel, have yet to return to India to provide their statements to the SIT. Sarma, the Chief Minister, has voiced his worry that the inquiry cannot be completed without their cooperation and has urged their families in Assam to pressure them to return. He has announced plans to meet with the Singaporean ambassador to India to seek assistance.

While the Assam Police cannot conduct an investigation on foreign soil, they are hopeful of receiving cooperation from the Singaporean authorities. The Singapore Police Force has already provided the autopsy report and its preliminary findings to the Indian High Commission. The report confirmed drowning as the cause of death. However, the Assam government is relying on its own investigation and the second autopsy conducted in Guwahati to uncover the full story. The state's leader has assured the public that the chargesheet will be filed within the stipulated three-month period, promising a swift and thorough legal process.

A Judicial Commission to Oversee the Probe

In a move to bolster public confidence in the investigation, the Assam government has established a one-man judicial commission to probe the circumstances leading to Garg's death. The commission, headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia, a sitting judge of the Gauhati High Court, has been tasked with submitting its report within six months. This judicial oversight is intended to ensure an impartial and comprehensive inquiry into whether any negligence, foul play, or conspiracy contributed to the singer's demise. The formation of this commission underscores the gravity of the situation and the government's commitment to leaving no stone unturned.

The commission's mandate is broad, allowing it to investigate any lapses by individuals or institutions and to ascertain the role of any external factors. This parallel inquiry, alongside the SIT's criminal investigation, aims to provide a complete picture of the events that transpired in Singapore. For a public consumed by grief and suspicion, the judicial commission represents a hope for accountability and a definitive answer to the question that haunts the state: what were the actual events that transpired involving Zubeen Garg?

The Lingering Questions and the Wait for Justice

As the investigation continues, several questions remain unanswered. Brief clips that have circulated online, purportedly showing Garg during his final 24 hours, have raised further concerns. The clips depict him on the boat, swimming first with and then without a life jacket. One particularly distressing video appears to show him struggling in the water, leading fans to question why he was permitted to enter the water while appearing obviously fatigued. His wife's statement about his need for prescribed medicine has only intensified these concerns.

The citizens of Assam are watching, waiting, and calling for accountability. This case has evolved from a personal tragedy into a collective cause, a fight for the memory of a man who was an artist who transcended the label of singer. He was a symbol of their culture, their identity, and their spirit. His friend, the writer-musician Rahul Gautam Sharma, perhaps best summed up the sentiment of a grieving state when he said that the enigma and confusion have become tiresome. The desire is simple: to understand the true events of that day. Only then, he says, can the real grieving begin.