A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the death of singer Zubeen Garg submitted its chargesheet at the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Guwahati on Friday, taking forward a case that has drawn public and political attention for months.
Officials said the chargesheet runs over 3,500 pages and was brought to the court in four trunks. The nine-member SIT arrived in a convoy of six vehicles, signalling the scale of the operation that has unfolded since the team began its work.
Garg died under mysterious circumstances on 19 September in Singapore while swimming in the sea. He had travelled there to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF), an event that had drawn participants from across the region.
Following his death, the Assam government set up the SIT under Special DGP M. P. Gupta to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Gupta had earlier said seven arrests have been made so far, including that of the festival’s chief organiser, Shyamkanu Mahanta, and that over 300 witnesses have been examined.
The case has carried a political edge as well. During the recently concluded assembly session, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Garg’s death was "plain and simple murder", a remark that sharpened public focus on the ongoing inquiry.
At the same time, an independent investigation by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has been underway.
In a statement, the SPF said that preliminary findings have not indicated any foul play and that their investigation may take up to another three months.