STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Jan 15: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday declined to comment on the proceedings in a Singapore court related to the death of singer-composer Zubeen Garg, saying politicians should refrain from matters under judicial consideration.
His remarks came as Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, issued an emotional appeal on social media, reiterating the family’s demand for a transparent probe into the circumstances surrounding his death.
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Responding to queries on the hearing before the Singapore Coroner’s Court, Sarma said he had only read about it in newspapers and did not wish to comment, noting that his words could be interpreted in different ways.
“Politicians should not get into matters related to court. We should stay away,” he said, adding that the Singapore authorities were following their own legal process, which differed from India’s.
Zubeen Garg, 52, died on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea near Lazarus Island in Singapore, where he had travelled to attend the North East India Festival.
Singapore Police informed the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday that Garg was severely intoxicated, had declined to wear a life jacket and drowned, adding that no foul play was suspected.
In Assam, however, a Special Investigation Team of the CID is probing the case and has arrested seven people so far.
A charge-sheet filed last month accused four of murder, one of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and two others of criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
In a detailed Facebook post addressed to the people of Assam, the government and Garg’s admirers, Garima Saikia Garg said the family fully supports all investigations and seeks only the truth.
She said suspicions arose after videos from the yacht surfaced on social media following her husband’s death, prompting the family to file an FIR.
She added that the family cooperated fully with the Singapore Police and maintained confidentiality to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Garima said the Singapore proceedings were initiated suo motu and that the Indian High Commission was actively involved in coordinating legal and medical processes, including the post-mortem.
She noted that Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur, submitted a detailed statement before the Coroner’s Court, raising questions on the planning of the outing, Garg’s medical condition, safety arrangements on the yacht, the circumstances in which he entered the sea, the response of those present, medical assistance provided and the conclusion of no foul play.
Describing these questions as a family’s right and duty, she appealed to the central and state governments to closely monitor the Singapore proceedings and take all necessary diplomatic and legal steps to ensure all relevant facts are placed before the court.
She also urged for speedy and effective prosecution in India based on the charge-sheet already filed, stressing that jurisdiction should not become an excuse for delay.
“We continue to seek only one thing—that the entire truth be fully and transparently examined and the guilty punished,” she said, adding that the family would pursue every legal path available in good faith.
