The central government on Tuesday initiated the process to activate the mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) with Singapore in connection with Assam police’s investigation into the death of singer-composer Zubeen Garg while swimming in the city state on September 19.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs has now formally invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) in connection with the FIR lodged by Assam Police regarding the unfortunate demise of our beloved Zubeen,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on X.
India had signed the MLAT with Singapore in 2005. Under the pact, the two countries can assist each other in criminal cases. The request for the assistance has to be “made by the Central Authority of India i.e., Ministry of Home Affairs to the Central Authority of another country on the request of Investigating Officer or Agency…”.
Sarma uploaded on X the letter written to T. Prabhakar, first secretary (commerce), High Commission of India, Singapore, by Parveen Singh, undersecretary to the GOI “ seeking legal assistance from the Republic of Singapore in investigation of the subject Case”.
The MHA letter to the High Commission said: “It is requested that original Mutual Legal Assistance Request may please be forwarded to the Attorney General of Singapore (the Central Authority of Singapore) suitably indicating the requirements of the attached request, under intimation to this Ministry. It is further requested that on receipt of response/execution report, the same may please be forwarded to this Ministry for onwards transmission to the Investigating Agency.”
The state CID has already registered a case against Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser of the North East Festival, where Zubeen was to perform on September 20, and Siddharth Shaarma, Zubeen’s manager. They were with the deceased singer in Singapore.
Request to PM
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure a transparent probe into the death of Zubeen Garg by placing the special investigation team (SIT) “under the monitoring and review of your esteemed office”.
