Assam Congress demands CBI probe under high court judge into ‘suspicious’ death of Zubeen

Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention for a CBI probe under the supervision of a sitting or retired judge of the Gauhati High Court into the sudden demise of Assam’s cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, in Singapore on September 19.

In his letter, Saikia expressed “serious concerns” over what he termed “suspicious circumstances” surrounding the singer’s death, alleging that the sequence of events pointed towards a conspiracy. He argued that while the Assam CID has been tasked with investigating the matter, the fact that the incident occurred in Singapore posed “serious jurisdictional limitations” that the state police cannot overcome without central support.

The Congress leader said Zubeen Garg was not only an artist but also a “revolutionary voice of resistance” who openly opposed government policies, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He recalled Garg’s statements during the anti-CAA movement, where the singer vowed never to allow its implementation in Assam, and said this made him a “potential target for elimination.”

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Saikia alleged that before leaving for Singapore, Garg had confided in close associates that he was under “significant pressure” to travel with limited companions, breaking his usual pattern. He also raised questions about contradictions in the statements of festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who first promoted Garg’s participation at the event but later claimed the singer had gone “only to take rest.”

Citing Garg’s known medical history of seizure disorders, Saikia questioned why he was allegedly encouraged to swim without a life jacket during the yacht outing that led to his fatal seizure. “The systematic planning — coercion before travel, isolation without family, contradictions by organisers, and exploitation of his medical vulnerability — all point towards a calculated elimination,” Saikia wrote.

He urged the President to direct a CBI probe with technical and international support to assist the Assam CID, and sought judicial oversight to ensure accountability. “Along with millions of people in Assam, I too demand justice for this revolutionary cultural icon,” Saikia said, stressing that the investigation must determine “who pressured Garg to travel, why the organiser changed his story, who knew about his medical condition, and what political motives existed for silencing his voice.”

Saikia concluded by saying that only a CBI-led investigation, guided by a High Court judge, could guarantee justice and restore public confidence in the case.