Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday raised doubts over what he called “coordinated” demands for a central agency probe into the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg, who passed away in Singapore on September 19.
In a Facebook Live session, Sarma referred to three different voices – event manager Shyamkanu Mahanta, Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia, and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi – who have recently asked for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the case. All of them, Sarma pointed out, have said that they do not trust the Assam Police or the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the state government.
“Of late, Shyamkanu Mahanta, INC Assam and Akhil Gogoi are all making the same demand — that they don’t trust Assam Police and a central agency must probe the demise of beloved Zubeen. Is it a coincidence that all these characters are speaking in one voice?” Sarma asked during his live address. 
The Chief Minister said that while people in a democracy are free to go to court or to make appeals online, the timing of these similar statements made him question whether it was just coincidence or part of something bigger. “Sometimes it is a coincidence, sometimes it is deliberate,” he remarked.
The death of Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most loved singers, has already triggered an outpouring of grief across the state. But along with that grief, there is now rising anger and suspicion. Many fans, political leaders, and even some of Garg’s close associates have asked for a fair and transparent investigation. Some of them have hinted at the possibility of negligence or foul play, while others have gone further to allege a conspiracy.
The Assam Police have so far maintained that a Special Investigation Team is looking into all aspects of the case and that no stone will be left unturned. The CID has already summoned two of Zubeen’s personal security officers for questioning. Yet, pressure is building for the matter to be handed over to the CBI, which is seen by many as more independent.
