Three months after the death of late Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, his family today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the constitution of a special court, expedited trial in Assam and appropriate diplomatic-legal intervention in Singapore.
In the letter to the PM, the family sought clarity on the circumstances of his sudden death, requesting the Government of India’s intervention. It has demanded the constitution of a Special Court in India to ensure focused adjudication, public confidence, and avoidance of procedural delay in the case arising from the charge sheet filed by Assam Police. Secondly, the family wants appointment of more numbers of Strongest Possible Prosecutors to the already deputed team by the Government of Assam, including senior and experienced prosecutors with national standing, so that the case is conducted with the highest professional competence and seriousness it warrants, and to expedite the process.
Zubeen’s family has urged fast tracking of the trial through appropriate judicial and administrative measures, so that justice is neither delayed nor diluted by time. The family has requested the central government to ensure that none of the accused is granted bail until and unless the complete process of justice has prevailed, and the accused should be punished with the severest punishment possible.
Also, the family wants assurance of active diplomatic and legal engagement with Singapore to monitor proceedings in the Coroner’s Court at the highest level; ensure that all relevant materials, testimonies, and findings are made available to Indian authorities; explore all lawful avenues for mutual legal assistance; and prevent jurisdictional complexity from becoming a barrier to truth.
Furthermore, the family has highlighted in the letter that the authorities in Singapore initiated proceedings suo motu immediately after the incident. The Indian High Commission in Singapore coordinated the post-mortem and related processes. It also stated that the family lodged a formal FIR with the CID, Assam, which led to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the Assam government.
The team of senior officers under the SIT Chief travelled to Singapore in connection with the investigation. After nearly 3 months of inquiry, Assam Police filed a charge sheet exceeding 2,500 pages and, based on the evidence collected, invoked sections relating to murder.
Meanwhile, the family also engaged with the Coroner in Singapore. It has submitted a detailed and reasoned statement there through emails, seeking factual clarity on the sequence of events, safety measures, and emergency responses surrounding Zubeen’s death. They emphasised that these inquiries were both lawful and a part of the family’s rights to know the circumstances of his death.
The family argues that the questions raised by them are lawful as well as its human right to inquire about the circumstances that led to his demise.