GUWAHATI, 28 Sep: The family of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg filed a complaint with the state CID over his death by drowning in Singapore, seeking a thorough probe into the incident.
Garg’s uncle Manoj Kumar Borthakur, a signatory in the complaint, told PTI that they had sent it to the CID through email on Saturday.
“We want a thorough probe into the circumstances leading to Zubeen’s death,” he said.
Garg’s wife Garima and his sister Palme Borthakur are the other signatories.
“We have sought an investigation into those present on the yacht trip during which the fatal incident occurred, organiser of North East India Festival Shyamkanu Mahanta and others who may be associated with the incident,” another family member of Garg said.
Garg was in the Southeast Asian country to participate in the festival and had drowned while swimming without a life jacket in the sea on 19 September during the yacht trip, organised by members of the Singapore Assam Association.
The singer’s family also urged the police to take steps to secure the copyrights of the creative works of Garg.
A senior police officer said, “We have received a complaint from Garg’s family and are examining it.”
He said the special investigation team (SIT) of the CID is already probing the incidents surrounding the death of the singer-composer, and the complaint filed by the family will be taken up with it.
A SIT member visited Garg’s residence in the Kahilipara area of Guwahati on Sunday, he said.
“We wanted to ask certain queries, and our officers met the family.
Their complete statements will be recorded once the rituals are completed,” he added.
Part of the 10-member SIT, the officer spent about 30 minutes with the family members of Garg.
The officer, however, did not reveal any details of the visit.
Meanwhile, three close associates of Garg – actor Nishita Goswami, singer Amritprava Mahanta and musician Shekharjyoti Goswami – appeared at the CID office here for the second consecutive day.
All of them were on the Singapore trip, with Goswami being present with Garg during the incident.
Their statements were also recorded by the investigators on Saturday.
Allegations of conspiracy and foul play behind Garg’s death have been raised, with the government forming the SIT to probe all angles.
The SIT has issued notices to 10 people, including Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma and members of the Singapore Assam Association, to appear before it and record their statements.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Saturday that lookout notices through the Interpol have been issued against Mahanta and Sharma, so that they cannot leave the country.
He also asked them to appear before the CID on 6 October, after the Durga Puja.
Sarma had also said that the case could be handed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the SIT fails to reveal the truth. (PTI)
