One person killed Zubeen Garg, others cooperated: Assam CM

GUWAHATI

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday (November 25, 2025), told the 126-member State Assembly that one person murdered Assamese cultural icon Zubeen Garg and others helped the killer.

He did not name the “murderer” and his accomplices while speaking during a discussion on the singer-composer-actor’s death during an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition. Speaker Biswajit Daimary allowed the motion on the Chief Minister’s request.

Garg died while swimming in the sea off an island in Singapore on September 19. He travelled to the Southeast Asian country to perform at the 4th North East India Festival (NEIF).

“They attacked me, asking how I could conclude Zubeen was murdered. But it is in the court’s record that this was murder. I repeat in the House that it was murder. One person murdered him, and others cooperated. We have booked four to five persons on the murder charge,” Mr. Sarma said.

Seven people were arrested in connection with Garg’s death. They are NEIF organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, DSP cousin Sandipan Garg, personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, and singer Amritprabha Mahanta.

The Chief Minister said a “big story” involving the cultural icon started before the COVID-19 pandemic and indicated that his death was connected to financial dealings.

“We have the evidence. That’s why I told the SIT to first file the charge sheet on the murder case on December 8 and then expand the inquiry so that nobody can escape,” he said, asking the Opposition members to keep faith in the SIT probe after they demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Mr. Sarma said the government believed Garg’s death was not a normal case on the very first day. “So, we registered a case under Sections 61 (criminal conspiracy), 105 (culpable homicide) and 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” he said.

“During preliminary investigation, the Assam police were certain that it was not a case of culpable homicide but a plain and simple murder. So, within two days, the Assam government informed the court that it was a case of murder and requested it to add the BNS section 103. The court did so after a debate on it,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the Ministry of Home Affairs would not have granted the required sanction under Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita had the SIT not conducted a thorough inquiry. This section states that if a crime is committed outside India, the case can only be taken up by a court after the Central government has sanctioned it.