Zubeen's wife to take call on public disclosure of post-mortem report: Himanta

The Singapore postmortem report in the Zubeen Garg death case has been handed over to the singer's wife, Garima Saikia, with the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) report set to follow on October 4. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the decision to make the GMCH postmortem findings public will rest entirely with Garima, while both reports will also be submitted to the court.

Speaking during a Facebook live session on October 3, Sarma addressed questions that had been raised about whether the Singapore postmortem report would be received. "Yesterday, we handed the postmortem report to Zubeen Garg's wife. The postmortem report conducted at Gauhati Medical College will also be handed to Garima tomorrow," he stated.

The Chief Minister detailed the government's actions since the incident, emphasising his personal involvement as a fan of the artist. "As a fan, within a single day, I arranged for the postmortem in Singapore and brought his mortal remains to Delhi. From Delhi, the body was brought to Assam, preserved for public viewing, and made available for millions of fans," Sarma said, adding that throughout the process, he acted "not as the Chief Minister of Assam, but as a devoted fan."

In a significant development, the state secured a 14-day police remand for four accused persons—Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Sekharjyoti Goswami, and Amrit Prabha Mahanta. Sarma highlighted this as an exceptional achievement, stating, "No court usually grants a 14-day remand. Our efforts in this case were exceptional. For the first time, we were able to secure a 14-day remand for an accused."

The government is now awaiting cooperation from the Assamese community in Singapore for the investigation, with Sarma warning of strict action if cooperation is not forthcoming.

A judicial commission headed by sitting High Court judge Justice Saumitra Saikia will be formally constituted on Saturday. Sarma revealed that this marks the first time a judicial commission would comprise sitting High Court judges rather than retired ones, following a special government request.

The Chief Minister put social media users on notice, stating that those who posted about the matter on YouTube and Facebook would be required to submit affidavits before the judicial commission. "We will keep track of those who claimed to be Zubeen's fans online but did not cooperate with the judicial commission. Now the ball is in their court. How they handle it will show who truly is a fan of Zubeen Garg," he said.

Sarma also referenced a 2020 incident when four youths attacked Zubeen Garg in Ganeshguri, Guwahati, during the COVID period, noting he had provided security to the singer despite his criticism of the CAA.

The Chief Minister accused some individuals of exploiting the artist's death for political purposes and criticised the use of AI-manipulated photos showing Shyamkanu Mahanta's arrest. He also pointed to what he termed a "paper connection" between opposition leaders Akhil Gogoi and Debabrata Saikia, and accused Shyamkanu Mahanta, noting all three had demanded a CBI investigation and expressed lack of faith in Assam authorities.

"No one can divert me. I will ensure justice for Zubeen and tirelessly fight for the nation and community. I challenge those who play petty games—countless blessings of the people of Assam are with me," Sarma concluded.