Zubeen’s death: It’s planned murder, not culpable homicide, says CM

Adjournment motion on Zubeen’s death

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the Assembly with conviction today that Zubeen Garg’s ‘death’ was a ‘planned murder’ hatched by one person in connivance with others. The case has two angles – one is ‘murder’ and the other is ‘negligence and criminal breach of trust’, he said.

One of the rarest incidents in houses came to the fore in the Assam Assembly today, when the Chief Minister requested the Speaker to allow the adjournment motion moved by the opposition parties on the issue of the death of Zubeen Garg. In most of the cases, governments oppose adjournment motions moved by the opposition benches.

The Chief Minister said, “We have requested the Speaker to admit the adjournment only to let the people of the state know the incidents leading to the murder of the singer, details of the investigation and the government’s stance on the issue.”

The Chief Minister said, “People raise questions about how I can use the word ‘murder’. The evidence collected by the investigators clearly indicates that it’s a murder case. One person, with assistance from four or five others, was behind the murder. We’re going to file the charge sheet by December 10, 2025. After that, we’ll request the Gauhati High Court to set up a fast-track court for the hearing of the case. We have full faith in the SIT and its investigation. If anyone finds lacunae in the charge sheet or feels that the charge sheet is weak, we’re ready to constitute a house committee as per the demand of the opposition.”

The Chief Minister said, “On the third day of the death of Zubeen Garg, the Assam Police was sure that it’s a murder case – not a culpable homicide. Which is why we requested the Gauhati High Court to add Section 103 (BNS) in the case. That section prevented the accused from getting bail.” 

On criticisms for the SIT recording statements from Bihu committees, the Chief Minister said, “Bihu committees are an integral part of the investigation, as money matters have played a crucial role in the death case. The case has two angles – one is ‘murder’, and the other is ‘negligence and criminal breach of trust’. The investigation won’t meet its dead end after the SIT submits its charge sheet in the murder case. It will continue to investigate the other angle in the case – negligence and criminal breach of trust under Section 316 of BNS. The story of negligence and the breach of trust began before the COVID pandemic. We’ll take action against all those who did injustice to Zubeen Garg.”

The Chief Minister said, “We’ve gleaned the evidence from different sources, including some from the place of occurrence in Singapore, by maintaining all protocols and procedures. We’ve also received sanctions from the Union Home Ministry to file the charge sheet. The opposition parties pricking holes in the investigation is tantamount to supporting the accused in the murder case.”

Supporting the adjournment motion, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, CPI-M MLA Manoranjan Talukdar, Ahraful Hussain of the AIUDF, Akhil Gogoi, and others said that the state government should have handed over the case to the CBI, besides constituting a house committee. They also wanted to know who sponsored the Northeast Festival in Singapore. They also question why the government did not depute a protocol officer or a doctor to Zubeen Garg when it was aware that the singer was unwell. They also raised a question as to how the Chief Minister said that it was a murder case even as the autopsy from Singapore mentioned ‘no foul play’ in the singer’s death.

Also Read: Saikia Slams Zubeen Garg SIT, Demands Fresh Assembly Probe