Guwahati: Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly and Congress leader, Debabrata Saikia, has requested 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 accused that before leaving for Singapore, Zubeen had shared with 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.”
Saikia requested the President to direct a CBI investigation 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.”
The mystery surrounding the sudden death of Assam’s iconic singer Zubeen Garg has taken a legal turn, as a concerned citizen filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Gauhati High Court seeking a judicial investigation into the circumstances of his passing.
The PIL, which has already reached the Chief Justice’s bench, demands a transparent and independent inquiry to uncover the full truth behind the tragic incident that has shocked fans across Assam and beyond.
Court officials have scheduled the matter for hearing on 8 November 2025.
Legal and political observers believe the High Court could set an important precedent with its approach to handling high-profile and sensitive deaths in the future.
Meanwhile, the Assam Crime Investigation Department (CID) has officially begun its investigation into Zubeen Garg’s death. Authorities have dispatched a four-member CID team to Delhi as part of the initial probe.