Himanta sees ‘political design’ in CBI demand on Zubeen Garg’s death

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has questioned what he described as “coordinated” demands from multiple leaders for a central probe into the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg, suggesting that the timing and tone of these calls appear suspicious.

In a Facebook Live address, Sarma pointed to recent appeals by event manager Shyamkanu Mahanta, Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia, and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi for the investigation to be transferred from the Assam Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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“Of late, Shyamkanu Mahanta, INC Assam and Akhil Gogoi are all making the same demand — that they don’t trust Assam Police and a central agency must probe the demise of beloved Zubeen. Is it a coincidence that all these characters are speaking in one voice?” Sarma asked.

The Chief Minister added that while individuals are free to seek justice through the courts or even social media campaigns, the near-simultaneous nature of the calls raises questions. “Sometimes it is a coincidence, sometimes it is deliberate,” he said, hinting at a possible “political design”.

Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most celebrated singers, passed away in Singapore last month, sparking grief across the state and beyond. His death quickly became a political flashpoint, with allegations, speculations, and demands for an impartial probe dominating public discourse. The Assam government had formed a Special Investigation Team under the state CID to probe the circumstances of Garg’s demise, but scepticism has persisted across political lines.

Shyamkanu Mahanta, a close associate of Garg and a cultural activist, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking protection of his rights amid the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, opposition leaders argue that only a central agency like the CBI can ensure credibility in the high-profile case, given Garg’s stature as a cultural figure who transcended political and ethnic divides.

For now, the probe continues under Assam Police, but the mounting chorus for a CBI inquiry has added a new dimension of political intrigue to a case that has gripped public imagination.