Zubeen's wife, sister seek to know circumstances leading to his death in Singapore

Zubeen Garg

Zubeen Garg's wife Garima Saikia Garg and his sister Palme Borthakur on Tuesday sought to know the circumstances that led to the singer's death in Singapore last month.

They also demanded justice for the deceased singer.

''...we will be together again, very soon Goldie (the name by which Garg was called by the family). But now, very soon, I/we all want to know the reason why you went away physically from us...Why? This is a big question. This question is burning my empty heart day and night. I want an answer...,'' Garima said on her Facebook page.

Garg's sister, in her social media post, said, ''You will again call me 'Momon' (her pet name)....when we meet on the other side... now we have only one goal... to ensure justice for you." She urged people to provide mental support and help them get justice for her brother.

The singer's wife later told mediapersons that they do not want ''any kind of politics or distraction but just want to know the truth and that will be justice for him. Things are moving in so many directions and we are not feeling good about it.'' Garima was speaking at a location of Garg's last film 'Roi Roi Binale', scheduled to be released on October 31, where work began after his death to complete the sequence of a song which he had planned to shoot after his return from Singapore.

''Not knowing what exactly happened to him during his last moments is hurting me day and night. He gave so much love to everyone and we also had kept him wrapped in love and respect. But then, why did he have to die neglected?'' she said.

Garima urged all to cooperate and expressed her anguish over the members of the Assam Association in Singapore, who were with him during his last moments, not coming forward to reveal what had happened.

''Why are they not cooperating? Don't they have any humanity and values left?'' she asked.

''We have lost a person who was Zubeen Garg... He is just not my husband but the world has recognised him. Why are they not saying anything?'' she said.

Garima said that the family just wants the answer to why did the incident happen that day.

She said that the family has full faith in the investigations and ''it is progressing well but we just want it to end soon and we get justice''.

Garg's sister, who was also present at the location, appealed to those who were with ''Dada (elder brother) in Singapore to come to Assam and say what happened to him in his last moments. We want to know everything." ''There is no point in giving different angles to his death. Tell us the truth so that we know what happened and Dada gets justice,'' Borthakur said.

Regarding Garg's last movie, his wife said that it was his ''dream film....a completely musical love story of a blind singer which he had planned for many years and has parallels to his life and music''.

He wanted the film to be released on October 31 and ''we will try to do so and the post production work of the film is going on,'' Garima said.

The singer's wife on October 4 returned the report of the second post-mortem examination of Garg's body, which was conducted at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, to the government, saying that it was not her "personal document" and the investigators would be the best judges to decide whether it should be made public or not.

The SIT, probing into the singer's death, had issued summonses to several people associated with the singer, including eight of the 11 members of the Assam Association of Singapore, who were with the singer during his last moments on the yacht, to appear before it by October 6.

One of them, Rupkamal Kalita, appeared before the SIT here on Tuesday and remained inside the CID office for nearly six hours.

He left in a vehicle and did not speak to media persons present outside the CID office.

The other members of the association are yet to respond to the summonses.

Garg's manager Siddhartha Sharma, musician Shekharjyoti Goswami, singer Amritprava Mahanta and North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta have been arrested in connection with the singer's death.

Garg died by drowning while swimming in the sea on September 19 in Singapore where he had gone to perform in the festival.

More than 60 FIRs were filed across the state against Mahanta, Sharma and several others, following which the chief minister had directed the DGP to transfer all the cases to the CID and register a consolidated case for a thorough investigation.

The CID constituted an SIT, led by Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta, to probe into the singer's death.