Singapore seeks names of investigators to be sent for Zubeen’s death probe

The SIT had invited several persons, including journalists, authors and doctors, for a meeting to share updates with them on Garg’s death.

While the majority of them turned down the invite, six of the invited persons – doctors Hitesh Baruah and Subhrakingkore Goswami, actor Pranjal Saikia, and journalists Sanjib Phukan, Atanu Bhuyan and Sibanu Borah – attended the meeting.

“The information that was shared with us today, 90 per cent of it is already known to all. Only about 10 per cent new information was given,” Atanu Bhuyan told reporters, emerging from the meeting.

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs has sent an email to CID, received from Singapore authorities, seeking names of officials who will be deputed for inquiry there and the scope of investigation.

Goswami added that the email was received earlier in the day and the details were sent from the CID end on Tuesday.

Bhuyan said the report of the post-mortem examination conducted in Guwahati was not shown to them.

“We know the report cannot be shown; it will be submitted in the court,” he said, dismissing speculation that the report could be placed in the meeting.

The senior journalist said they were told by the SIT that the Singapore police is conducting its own probe into the incident and recording statements of witnesses there.

The SIT further informed the meeting that financial irregularities of Shyamkanu Mahanta, organiser of the North East India Festival, has been unearthed and the Enforcement Directorate is having a look into it.

Mahanta has been arrested by the CID in connection with Garg’s death, along with six others.

“On circumstances leading to Zubeen’s death, whether there was negligence, what happened the night before the incident and the circumstances under which he was taken to the yacht – the SIT said they have got good information on all aspects,” Bhuyan said.

He said the six of them offered their suggestions, including some in writing, to the SIT and also asked for the appointment of a nodal officer to share regular updates on the case so that fake news and rumours are not spread.

“The SIT has said they will submit the charge sheet within 90 days,” he added.

Bhuyan stressed that ‘assumptions’ cannot be made on how Garg died, adding that murder angle was being investigated by the SIT.

On the majority of invitees not attending the meeting, Bhuyan said, “They should have come. There is no good in writing stuff on Facebook; they should have come before the SIT.” “I was invited perhaps because I have been covering the case. Wherever we may get information on the case, we will go there. Some information that I received today, I cannot divulge. But it has given me confidence in the investigation,” he added.

Actor Pranjal Saikia said the SIT informed them that three more Assamese expats will be coming on Wednesday to testify in the case.

After they come, only one of the 11 people served summonses will be left and he would also come soon, Saikia added.

The CID had issued summonses to all 11 Assam-origin people residing in Singapore who were present in the yacht at the time of the incident.

The SIT has recorded statements of over 50 people in the case and the videos of Garg swimming in the sea, right up to the last minutes, have been compiled, Saikia said.

Among those who stayed away from the meeting was Garg’s close associate Rahul Gautam Sharma, who was among the four people who had lit the funeral pyre.

“Give justice to Zubeen Garg. Let the investigating agency submit an error-free report before the court. Let us not discuss any other matter until then. We can have the ‘sarkari cha-singora’ (government’s tea-snacks) later,” the lyricist-composer said in a post on Facebook, declining the invite.

Leaders of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), turning down the invite, said in a statement that it has decided against attending the meeting so that the accused cannot question the neutrality of SIT for discussing progress of the case with an organisation that is persistently seeking a thorough probe into Garg’s death.

Author-editor Anuradha Sharma Pujaree said she declined the invitation due to a prior engagement.

“I also think that instead of inviting me, if people with legal and medical science knowledge were invited, they could have been better placed to give suggestions that would help the SIT investigation,” she said in a separate Facebook post.

Among others who declined the invitation were author Phanindra Devchoudhury, and senior journalists Ramanuj Dutta Choudhury, Dharjya Hazarika, Pranjit Saikia and Rajdeep Bailung Baruah.