Staff Reporter
Guwahati: AASU leaders are demanding a 'watertight' investigation by the SIT into Zubeen Garg's untimely death in Singapore and expressed concern at the pace and direction of the investigation immediately after the ghastly incident. They also demanded that members of the Assam Association of Singapore be brought into the ambit of the probe and that the SIT should probe all angles and examine all sources of information in Singapore, including the Coast Guard and CCTV footage. They also demanded the arrest and interrogation of festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta and Zubeen Garg's manager, Siddharth Sharma.
Talking to the media today, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya said, "We will not be satisfied until we get justice. For justice to be delivered there are two factors. One is the investigation ordered by the state government. It should be watertight. We reiterate that the guilty should not escape punishment through any loopholes in the law. The punishment should be exemplary and tough. We need answers to certain questions regarding the circumstances of Zubeen da's demise. It was due to the negligence of the organizer of the Northeast Festival, Shyamkanu Mahanta; manager Siddharth Sharma; members of the Assam Association, Singapore, who were present at the time; and others in charge of Zubeen's well-being that the incident happened. We lost our national treasure, Zubeen da, and they should be held responsible and arrested. Does the government know the whereabouts of Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma, and why have they not been arrested if their location is known? Nobody should be allowed to escape through any loophole in the law. The recent clippings that are online show what happened. We lost our national treasure due to sheer negligence, and we also smell a conspiracy. In spite of the fact that Zubeen was not allowed to go near water and fire, he was not stopped from doing so. Manager Siddharth Sharma and members of the Assam Association, Singapore, didn't stop Zubeen da from venturing into the water. Our national treasure was taken to Singapore, but he was not taken care of, and we lost him. The responsibility of ensuring the well-being of Zubeen da rested on the organizers. The manager is not only looking after his money but also taking care of him, in which he displayed total negligence."
AASU president Utpal Sarma said, "Things should be made clear. There is a limit to the patience of the people of Assam. They want justice. When will the SIT reach Singapore and examine the yacht on which Zubeen da had gone to sea? The members of the Assam Association, Singapore, should be brought into the ambit of the investigation. They stood by as the incident unfolded. The Chief Minister himself said they are Indian citizens. They should be dragged here for interrogation and punished. It's been more than one week now, and it is not clear whether the team will be able to examine the details - the version of the coast guard, the medical team and CCTV evidence. Shyamkanu Mahanta took him to Singapore, although Zubeen da was reluctant. People close to Zubeen da say he went on the repeated insistence of Shyamkanu Mahanta, who is now saying that Zubeen da went to Singapore to relax and not to participate in the Northeast Festival organized by him there. He is now saying that he wasn't aware that Zubeen da had gone out to sea in a yacht. It is a crime if he was unaware of Zubeen da's whereabouts after taking him to Singapore. There is no denying that Shyamkanu took our national treasure Zubeen da for purely commercial reasons. We make it clear that there should be a thorough and watertight investigation. We have been organizing tributes but we will not hesitate to use other means to ensure justice for Zubeen da. Videos are being released periodically. This is not a web series. The origin of the videos should be established. We demand a swift investigation and exemplary punishment for those involved, including Shyamkanu Mahanta. We also demand a white paper from the government on the funds that were provided to Shyamkanu Mahanta and the investments he claimed to have brought in by organizing these festivals. Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma should be arrested, and a thorough investigation launched into their role in Zubeen da's death."
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