Zubeen Garg death probe gains political overtones ahead of Assam polls

By Nava Thakuria* 

Public grief over the untimely death of Assam’s popular singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore has increasingly turned into a political issue. As protests and social media campaigns demanding justice continue, political parties across the spectrum are seeking to associate themselves with the case, with an eye on the forthcoming Assam assembly elections scheduled for early next year.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently announced plans to erect statues of Zubeen Garg and establish two music schools in his memory, along with another dedicated to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. The party has also launched a “Nyay Yatra” (March for Justice) to push for a judicial inquiry into Garg’s death. The campaign began in Nalbari on 22 October, where the BJP claimed participation of over 50,000 supporters. Senior leaders, including Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, Union minister Pabitra Margherita, and state ministers Jayanta Malla Baruah and Chandra Mohan Patowary, led the rally, demanding a transparent investigation. Similar programs have since been held across the state under the leadership of other ministers.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has stated that it is investigating the case under the country’s Coroners Act 2010. According to a communication forwarded by the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi, the SPF’s preliminary findings have ruled out foul play, and the final report may take at least three months to complete. The SPF also cautioned against spreading speculation or unverified information about the circumstances of Garg’s death.

In Assam, the digital campaign “JusticeForZubeenGarg” continues to gain traction, with nearly three million social media users calling for justice. The Assam government has constituted a special investigation team (SIT), which has made several arrests, and also appointed a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe. A two-member police team led by SIT chief M. P. Gupta recently visited Singapore to collect relevant information from local authorities.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has assured that the charge sheet will be filed within three months. While Zubeen Garg’s autopsy was conducted at Singapore General Hospital, a second post-mortem was performed at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital amid public suspicion of foul play. The Singapore death certificate recorded drowning as the cause of death, and subsequent forensic tests reportedly found no traces of poisoning. The chief minister also met with Singapore’s acting high commissioner Alice Cheng to seek cooperation in the ongoing investigation.

Opposition leaders have also become active. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Garg’s cremation site at Kamarkuchi and met his family members in Guwahati, accompanied by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and assembly opposition leader Debabrata Saikia. Gogoi later questioned the direction of the investigation, while Saikia wrote to Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong requesting a transparent inquiry. Regional party leaders Akhil Gogoi and Lurinjyoti Gogoi have demanded a national-level probe.

Adding another dimension to the debate, United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) chief Paresh Barua commented that while many are now vocal about justice for Zubeen Garg, few had earlier expressed concern over the singer’s personal well-being. He urged people to respect the legal process in a case that occurred outside India’s jurisdiction.

As investigations continue both in Singapore and Assam, the call for justice for Zubeen Garg remains deeply emotional — but also increasingly intertwined with the state’s political and electoral landscape.

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*Senior journalist based in Guwahati