Congress leader and Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi has written a formal letter to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking clarification on the death of popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore and the reported involvement of one of the festival organisers who has now been named as an accused by the police in Assam.
In the letter dated 4 December 2025, Gogoi said that the late singer died on 19 September during the North East India Festival in Singapore, where he was scheduled to perform. The event was organised under the Ministry of External Affairs with the support of the High Commission of India.
He mentioned that the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently informed the state Assembly that according to the Special Investigation Team of Assam Police, Zubeen Garg’s death “was a murder” and that multiple individuals have now been named as accused in the case. 
In his letter, Gogoi pointed out that one of those accused in the investigation had been directly associated with organising the North East India Festival in Singapore. He also said that the same person had, over the years, received large payments from the Ministry of External Affairs for organising festivals and similar events.
He said that this connection needed clarification, as a person allegedly linked to a murder case continuing to have financial ties with the ministry was disturbing and required public explanation.
The MP also referred to media reports that the ministry went ahead with the festival even after Zubeen Garg passed away in Singapore. He said that the festival was organised on 19, 20 and 21 September and that it could have been postponed out of respect, especially since the event was meant to promote the culture of the North East and Zubeen Garg was one of the biggest icons of the region.
Gogoi wrote that it would have been more appropriate if the event was cancelled or held later.The Congress MP requested the Ministry to issue a public statement explaining the claims made in the Assam Assembly and to clarify the nature of the relationship between the ministry’s senior leadership and the person accused in the case.
He also said that the matter involved a government-organised event and therefore the public, as well as the family of Zubeen Garg, deserved to know the facts.
In the letter, Gogoi said that transparency was important because the event was held under a government ministry and the High Commission of India, and therefore any information related to the festival or its organisers must be shared clearly with the public.
He said that the issue was not only about the investigation but also about the decisions made by officials during and after the incident in Singapore.
