Singapore authorities have requested the names of Assam Police officers to assist in the ongoing investigation into the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg. The request, conveyed through India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, was made via an email from Singapore. In response, the Assam CID has already submitted a list of officers as sought by the Singapore authorities, senior officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) confirmed.
The development was announced following a special meeting convened by the SIT with selected journalists, doctors, and authors to share updates on the case. The meeting was attended by doctors Hitesh Baruah and Subhrakingkore Goswami, actor Pranjal Saikia, and journalists Sanjib Phukan, Atanu Bhuyan, and Sibanu Borah. Zubeen Garg had died on September 19 while swimming in Singapore, where he had travelled to perform at the North East India Festival.
Senior journalist Atanu Bhuyan stated that while much of the information discussed was already public, some new details were revealed. He informed that the SIT has assured submission of a charge sheet within 90 days. Bhuyan also mentioned that Singapore Police are carrying out their own investigation, including recording witness statements. A post-mortem report prepared in Guwahati will be submitted to the court but was not shared at the meeting.
The SIT further informed that it had found evidence of alleged financial irregularities involving North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who has been arrested along with six others in connection with the case. The Enforcement Directorate is reportedly reviewing these findings.
According to the SIT, the investigation has so far gathered substantial information about the circumstances leading to Garg’s death, including possible negligence and the events preceding the incident. Attendees at the meeting suggested appointing a nodal officer to ensure regular updates and prevent misinformation.
Actor Pranjal Saikia stated that three more Assamese expatriates were scheduled to travel to Singapore to testify, with only one of the 11 Assam-origin individuals present on the yacht yet to respond to the CID summons. The SIT has already recorded statements from over 50 individuals and collected relevant video footage.
Several invitees, including Garg’s close associate Rahul Gautam Sharma and representatives of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), did not attend the meeting, citing personal reasons and concerns about the neutrality of the investigation. Some attendees also suggested the inclusion of more legal and medical experts in future consultations.
