HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, Dec 16: Raijor Dal supremo and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Tuesday strongly criticised the much-publicised SIT chargesheet filed in connection with the mysterious death of singer Zubeen Garg in the sea off Singapore, terming it vague, extremely weak and incapable of cornering the alleged conspirators during trial.
Speaking to the media at his Gohainchuk residence here, Gogoi said the 12,000-page chargesheet appeared to have been drafted with an intention to safeguard the Assam Association and some key accused persons. He alleged that only page 13 of the voluminous chargesheet mentions the allegations framed under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), raising serious questions about the strength of the case.
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Gogoi further alleged that the chargesheet contains no details of the investigation conducted by the SIT at the actual scene of the incident in Singapore. He said the document mentions recovery of only a half-litre bottle of water and some seawater from the site, while no important documents or material evidence were reportedly collected from Singapore by the investigating team.
The MLA also pointed out that the chargesheet does not include any reference to crucial evidence such as CCTV footage from the yacht, seizure of the yacht, statements of the yacht captain, members of the rescue team, ambulance driver or doctor, nor does it mention seizure documents related to the hotel room where Zubeen Garg had stayed or testimonies of hotel staff.
He alleged that there is no mention of any investigation conducted by the Singapore government into the death, nor are related official documents included in the chargesheet. Gogoi further claimed that the chargesheet interestingly records that Zubeen Garg’s body had tested positive for COVID-19.
Raising further objections, Gogoi said that instead of the chief investigating officer, two SIT officers prepared a video and a sketch of the scene of occurrence, which he termed highly irregular. He added that there is no material in the chargesheet strong enough to ensure punishment under Section 103 of the BNS, which provides for the death penalty.
Reiterating his earlier stand, Gogoi alleged that the SIT did not record any questioning of Union Minister Pabitra Margherita, who had organised the event in Singapore. He concluded by stating that the entire investigation was a farce and claimed that the accused would eventually go unpunished.
