Guwahati, Oct 14: Several eminent figures, including journalists and authors, have declined an invitation from Assam Police CID to discuss updates on the investigation into Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore. The invitees cited concerns about propriety, transparency, and neutrality, with some suggesting that only experts or family members should be briefed on the investigation.

The 52-year-old singer-composer died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19, attending the 4th North East India Festival. Seven persons have been arrested, including the festival’s chief organiser, Garg’s manager, band members, and his cousin, an Assam Police DSP.

However, many invitees publicly declined the CID’s call. Lyricist-composer Rahul Gautam Sharma, a close associate of Garg, said the only demand now was a foolproof chargesheet. “Give justice to Zubeen Garg. Let the investigating agency submit an error-free report before the court. We can have the ‘sarkari cha-singora’ (government’s tea-snacks) later,” he wrote on Facebook.

The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) also refused to attend, saying it did not want the neutrality of the SIT questioned, given its consistent demand for a thorough probe. Author-editor Anuradha Sharma Pujaree argued that legal and medical experts, rather than writers, would have been better placed to advise investigators. Author Phanindra Devchoudhury and journalist Rajdeep Bailung Baruah too declined, with Baruah stressing faith in the legal system.

Among those confirming attendance is senior journalist Atanu Bhuyan, who said he would meet the SIT both as a journalist and as a close friend of Garg. “The entire state wants to know the circumstances behind Zubeen’s death. I am not a coward not to be able to be present before the SIT,” he wrote.

The CID’s outreach has sparked debate, with many questioning the choice of invitees and the optics of selective briefings, even as public demand for justice for Zubeen Garg continues to grow.