Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In a major development in the SIT probe into Zubeen Garg's unusual death, Singapore has given the green signal for a two-member team led by SIT chief SDGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta to visit Singapore to gather details on the ghastly incident.
The development was announced by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma in a post on his X handle, which said, "Another step forward towards justice for our beloved Zubeen... The Singapore Police authorities will meet the Assam Police team led by Sri Munna Gupta, SDGP and Head of SIT, on 21st October... Our collective resolve remains - Justice for Zubeen will prevail."
Regarding the visit to Singapore, SIT chief Munna Prasad Gupta said, "The Singapore authorities have asked us to visit for a meeting on October 21, and our team will reach Singapore on October 20. There is a lot to be done regarding the investigation that can be done only by visiting Singapore. The visit will be possible only if the Singapore government allows us, and we have now received a communication giving us permission for the same. We will meet with the authorities concerned and discuss the way forward in the investigation."
SDGP Gupta, however, did not name the second police official who will be part of the team.
On the visit by the Assamese NRIs here, SDGP Gupta said, "10 of the 11 named in the investigation have appeared before the SIT. We have gathered the statements and evidence from the 10 persons. One of the remaining persons is a citizen of Singapore, although he originally hails from Assam. His case is different, and we are positive that we can gather the necessary details from him also."
Regarding the series of videos relating to the incident released part by part on social media, he said, "We have examined each video in detail and have brought them into the ambit of the investigation."
He also said that, if necessary, the persons who appeared earlier before the SIT, or anyone for that matter, may be summoned again and that it is a normal part of an investigation.
The SIT chief stated that a two-member team will head to Singapore on October 20, as permission has been received for a team comprising two persons. "After that, we will discuss the future course of action with the relevant authorities in Singapore and whether more persons are required to visit. As of now, we will discuss the matter with the authorities as agreed upon and take the investigation forward," he added.
He also emphasized that an investigation by the SIT in Singapore is of the utmost necessity, as the incident had occurred there. "It is a major step forward that we have received permission from the Singapore authorities for a visit there. The visit will help us in taking the investigation forward and completing it within the stipulated timeframe," he stressed.
In another development, two Assamese NRIs who had appeared before the SIT spoke to the media for the first time. One of them, Debojyoti Hazarika, said, "Let the truth come to light. We are only a part of the entire incident. There are others, both in front and behind. The investigation is going on in Singapore too. However, there are some angles in Assam also. We also want justice for Zubeenda."
The second NRI from Singapore, Abhimanyu Talukdar, said, "We have come here because we also demand justice. We cannot say much, as the investigation is going on. Once things move forward, we will all come here together and publicly state everything. In Singapore, our statements were taken several times. Our phones were also confiscated and examined. The police there are conducting the investigation based on CCTV footage also."
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