Zubeen Garg’s death a ‘plain and simple murder’, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assembly statement

Zubeen Garg death update

The grief over Zubeen Garg’s death still hangs heavy over Assam, and that sense of loss was palpable in the state Assembly on Tuesday as chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke about the investigation into the beloved singer’s final days.

Addressing MLAs on the opening day of the winter session, Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government was clear from the very beginning that the case was not just an accident or medical tragedy, but a crime.

As pr Hindustan Times, he stated that investigators believe one person directly killed Zubeen, while four to five others allegedly helped carry out the act, and announced that the chargesheet will be placed before the court on 8 December.

“It is a murder from the very first day. The accused, Shyamkanu Mahanta, along with 4–5 accused, are locked up in a murder case. Our emotions are with Zubeen. That is why we are probing Zubeen Garg’s murder,” Sarma said, reflecting the emotional connect the singer had with people across Assam.

The House had just paid obituary tributes when leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia and Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi pushed for an adjournment motion to discuss Zubeen’s death.

As Speaker Biswajit Daimary examined their pleas, Sarma himself stepped in, saying the government was equally concerned and urging that the discussion be allowed on day one.

Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most adored musicians whose songs have been a soundtrack to everyday life for millions, died in Singapore on 19 September 2025. For many, the circumstances of his death never felt entirely straightforward.

Sarma said the investigating team shared that instinct. “Right after the death, we felt something was amiss. That is why we registered an FIR under BNS sections 61 (criminal conspiracy), 105 (culpable homicide), and 106 (causing death by rash and negligent act),” he said.

He added that even at the outset, Assam Police believed it was “a plain and simple murder.” Within 48 hours of the FIR, the government moved court to add Section 103, the BNS provision for murder.

“Every bail application and every subsequent proceeding has been based on Section 103. The court granted 14-day custody, which was first of its kind, and did not grant bail to any of the accused, which shows that we are not incorrect,” Sarma said.

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During the discussion, Akhil Gogoi pressed the government to reveal all the names of those allegedly involved and questioned its links with accused Shyamkanu Mahanta’s Northeast India Festival, a charge Sarma denied.

Both Gogoi and Saikia also urged that the state recommend the Bharat Ratna for Zubeen. Sarma replied that he was open to such a move, but only if it was taken forward “in a proper manner and not during an adjournment motion discussion.”