CID to probe Zubeen Garg’s death as FIRs filed against event organizer, manager

The sudden demise of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore has now turned into a full-fledged legal and political storm.

The state government has ordered that all the First Information Reports filed against Shyam kanu Mahanta, Chief Organiser of the North East India Festival, and Sidharth Sarma, the singer’s manager, be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for a consolidated investigation.

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Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, announcing the move on Saturday, said that multiple FIRs had been registered across different police stations in Assam, reflecting the intensity of public anger. “I have directed the DGP to transfer all the FIRs to the CID and to register a consolidated case for a thorough investigation,” he added.

Zubeen, who was in Singapore for the North East India Festival, died during a yacht outing on Friday.

Eyewitnesses from the local Assamese community recounted that the singer, who was not wearing a life jacket, fell into the sea despite repeated pleas to put it on. His final moments, described by those present, have left fans in Assam deeply shaken.

The tragedy has quickly become the subject of fierce debate. Mahanta, in his defence, maintained that Zubeen had gone on the yacht with members of the Assamese diaspora and insisted that the festival organisers had no knowledge of the outing.

But this explanation has failed to calm the public mood. The widespread feeling that those responsible for his safety did not do enough has only sharpened the outrage.

Across Assam, grief has turned into an overwhelming demand for accountability. Since news of his death broke, thousands have gathered outside Zubeen’s Guwahati residence, lighting candles and singing his songs deep into the night.

Social media has been flooded with emotional tributes and angry calls for justice, with Mahanta and Sarma being held both morally and legally answerable for what many see as a preventable tragedy.

For Assam, Zubeen was never just a singer. He was the heartbeat of a generation, a cultural force who could move effortlessly from soulful Assamese ballads like Mayabini Ratir Bukut to Bollywood blockbusters such as Ya Ali.

Beyond music, he was outspoken on politics, social issues, and environmental concerns, making him a voice that resonated across divides.

His death, at the age of 52, leaves behind not only silence but also questions that demand answers.

The loss is made even more unbearable by its echo of past tragedy. Zubeen’s younger sister, Jonkey Borthakur, herself a promising singer, died in a road accident in 2002. The Borthakur family, once again confronted with devastating loss, now grieves in private as the state mourns with them.

The CID investigation, which will examine the circumstances of the yacht outing, the safety measures in place, and the responsibilities of those accompanying Zubeen, is being seen as a crucial test of accountability.

For his fans, it is about more than just blame. As one mourner outside his home in Guwahati put it, “We cannot bring him back, but we must know the truth. That will be the only tribute worthy of his memory.”