Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Tuesday said that the Chief Minister’s repeated statement that Zubeen Garg was ‘murdered’ shows that he might have some solid evidence related to the case.
Speaking to reporters on the ongoing investigation into Zubeen Garg’s death by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Saikia said that one month has passed since the incident, but people across Assam are still not satisfied with the way the probe is being carried out. “Our pride and icon Zubeen Garg passed away a month ago, and people are not at all happy with how the SIT investigation is going. The investigation is not moving in the right direction,” he said.
Saikia questioned why the Chief Minister was publicly calling it a murder even before the SIT could reach a conclusion. “The Chief Minister has said it a thousand times that Zubeen Garg was murdered. This means he has some kind of evidence in his hand. He is saying it again and again. First, he said Zubeen was murdered, and later, he said that people should wait, and the truth would be hard to digest. So our question is simple; what does Himanta Biswa Sarma know from the SIT investigation that the people do not?” Saikia asked. 
The Congress leader also said that Himanta Biswa Sarma had, a few years ago, publicly said that Zubeen Garg’s life was under threat and he should be given proper security. “If that was the case, then when Zubeen went out of the country, what kind of security did he receive from the government? Now the case is being handled by the Assam Police CID and the SIT, but the public still has no clear answers,” Saikia added.
He further said that Congress had demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as the Assam CID, although an old and respected institution established during British rule in 1922, is now being doubted by the people. “We have doubts about the CID’s investigation,” Saikia said, adding that the Chief Minister’s vigilance team appearing to work closely with the CID has raised more questions.
Saikia also took a jibe at the Chief Minister, saying that Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier claimed he had “solid evidence” against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi regarding his alleged Pakistan trip and that he would soon call a press conference to expose him. “If that is true, why is the Chief Minister delaying? Why is he keeping such matters to himself instead of making them public?” Saikia asked.
The Congress leader went on to highlight that there were reports of a raid conducted at the house of Shyamkanu Mahanta, who was connected to the North East Festival that took place in Singapore where Zubeen Garg performed before his death. “We have learned that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating Shyamkanu Mahanta’s assets, and the CID has sealed his house. But if the house is sealed, how can family members still visit it? Was the raid legal? Was there any independent witness present during the sealing? These are important questions that remain unanswered,” he said.
Raising further doubts, Saikia said that in the Zubeen Garg case, the singer’s mobile phone is being investigated by the Assam Cyber Crime branch. “At first, it was said that Zubeen’s phone was with Siddharth Sharma. When Sandeepan Garg looked for it, Siddharth did not hand it over. Now the question is whether there has been any tampering with the data. And another video has now emerged showing the Chief Minister patting the back of Sandeepan Garg at Delhi airport. This has again raised new questions in people’s minds about what is actually happening,” Saikia said.
He urged that all this information should not influence the investigation and called for transparency. “People have the right to know everything. I have already demanded that a few members from the Assam Legislative Assembly should be part of the investigation so that there is transparency and accountability,” he said.
Saikia also pointed out contradictions in the Chief Minister’s statements. “Earlier, the Chief Minister himself said that the Assam CID does not have the authority to conduct investigations outside the state. But now, the same CID has gone to Singapore to investigate the case. How is this possible? Earlier he said it was not allowed, but now it has become possible. What changed?” he asked.
Reiterating his demand, Saikia said the CBI should take over the case for an impartial investigation. He also questioned why Zubeen Garg, who was performing at a government-linked event in Singapore, did not receive the same hospitality or security usually extended to Indian artists performing abroad under official programs.
“The North East Festival in Singapore was organized by the Indian Foreign Circulation Department. If that was a government-linked event, then why did Zubeen Garg not receive official hospitality? Why was no government bodyguard or protocol officer attached with him? These questions must be answered,” Saikia added.
The Congress leader said that the people of Assam deserve to know the truth behind Zubeen Garg’s death. “We are not here to blame anyone, but people want justice. The government must come clean on all these matters. The investigation must be fair, transparent, and conducted by a neutral agency,” he said.
