Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that singer Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore was “not an accident but rather a murder.”
The 52-year-old musician died on September 19 while swimming in the sea during a yacht trip, a tragedy that initially stunned the state and the music world.
Speaking in the Assam Assembly during an adjournment motion moved by the opposition to discuss the death of the singer, Sarma said, “After a preliminary probe, the Assam Police was sure that it was not a case of culpable homicide, but it was a plain and simple murder.”
“One of the accused killed Garg, and others helped him. Four to five people are being booked in the murder case,” he stated.
Garg had travelled to Singapore to take part in the North East India Festival (NEIF). His sudden death triggered widespread outrage and over 60 police complaints across Assam, prompting the government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the CID.
To further bolster the probe, the state also set up a one-man inquiry commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court.
Shortly thereafter, NEIF organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, and Garg’s cousin — senior Assam Police officer Sandipan Garg were arrested.
The commission, which began recording statements on November 3, has now extended the deadline for submissions to December 12.
The investigation deepened when Garg’s personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya, were arrested after police detected unexplained transactions amounting to over ₹1.1 crore in their bank accounts.
All seven accused are in judicial custody and face charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
Sarma said the SIT was preparing a “watertight chargesheet” and warned that “the motive behind the crime will shock the people of the state”.
He added that once the chargesheet is filed in December, the inquiry will widen to include allegations of negligence and criminal breach of trust.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Police Force is conducting its own independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the musician’s death.
Zubeen Garg was no ordinary artist, he was the pulse of Assam. For millions, he was far more than a singer or performer; he was family. A beloved son, brother, father figure and cultural icon, he was affectionately known across the state as ‘Zubeen da.’
While the rest of India may remember him for “Ya Ali”, Assam knew him as something much larger, a composer, lyricist, poet, filmmaker, activist and a dependable human being who showed up whenever people were in need.
Even as he endured personal tragedies, he remained a pillar of support for those around him.
That compassion flowed through his music. Songs like “Jontro”, “Pakhi Pakhi Ai Mon”, “Anamika”, “Mayabini” and many others became woven into the emotional fabric of Assamese life.
His passing altered the state’s rhythm in an instant. Crowds poured in from towns, villages and even beyond Assam to bid him farewell.
“Mayabini”, once a love song, turned into a collective cry of longing. Life paused. Markets shut, streets overflowed, and communities grieved in unison.
Assamese people are not known for acts of public frenzy, yet this loss felt deeply personal — as if an elder brother had been taken away. After his demise, nearly four days, the streets stayed awake with songs, memories and tributes.
Garg’s artistic journey was staggering — more than 38,000 songs across 40 languages. His devotion to music was matched only by his love for nature, animals and people.
He often said, “Mur kunu jaati nai, kunu dhormo nai, kunu bhogoban nai, moi okol manuh,” meaning, “I belong to no caste, no religion, no god. I am only human.”
He lived by those words, and they shaped his art, his activism and the way he moved through the world.
