Zubeen’s death: SIT files complaint against MLA Akhil Gogoi for ‘circulating’ chargesheet details

The special investigation team (SIT), probing into the death of singer Zubeen Garg, filed a complaint with the Assam Police’s Crime Branch against Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi for allegedly circulating on social media “unverified” documents related to the chargesheet in the case, a senior official said on Friday.

The circulation of such documents is ‘illegal” and will “mislead the public and create confusion”, he said.

Gogoi, the Sivasagar MLA, was accused of circulating some documents on social media, claiming these to be part of the chargesheet against the seven accused in the singer’s death case.

The nine-member SIT, headed by Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta, had submitted the chargesheet before the Kamrup (Metro) Chief Judicial Magistrate on December 12.

The court is yet to release certified copies of the chargesheet to those who have applied for it, a lawyer pointed out, adding that it has only been shared with the accused and their family members.

“SIT’s Investigating Officer Rosie Kalita has filed the complaint against Gogoi for registration of an FIR with the Crime Branch of the police. The complaint is being examined, and a decision on the matter will be taken accordingly,” the official said.

Gogoi, in a social media post, said, ‘I have come to know that the government has filed a case against me for making the charge sheet public. I am severely ill, but I will go to Guwahati to face the case.”

The SIT chief had said that the singer’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma, festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, and band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta have been charged with the murder.

Mahanta was the chief organiser of the North East India Festival in Singapore, which Garg had attended, and he died under mysterious circumstances there while swimming in the sea on September 19.

Garg’s cousin and suspended Assam Police officer Sandipan Garg has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The singer’s two personal security officers (PSOs)—Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya—have been charged with criminal conspiracy and breach of trust by misappropriating funds or property entrusted to them, Gupta said.

Besides murder, Mahanta has been charged with criminal conspiracy, extortion, cheating, and destruction of evidence.

Zubeen’s secretary has also been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

In addition to the murder charge, his band member, Goswami, has also been charged with criminal breach of trust, while Amritprava Mahanta has also been charged with destruction of evidence.

All the accused have been arrested and are currently in jail, with five of them in Baksa prison and Goswami and Amritprava in Haflong jail.