Govt to request HC for fast-track court trial of Zubeen’s death case: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the State Government will request the Gauhati High Court to set up a fast-track court to decide on singer Zubeen Garg’s death case.

The Assam cabinet also decided to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) on the recommendation of the Advocate General, who will be engaged only for the hearing of the case from the filing of the charge sheet to the delivery of justice, he said.

“There is usually a complaint that courts take a long time to deliver justice. So the State cabinet has decided to approach the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court for a fast track hearing into the case after the Special Investigating Team submits its chargesheet,” Sarma said at the press conference here. He said that the SIT has assured him that investigations will be completed by the end of November and the charge sheet will be submitted most likely in the first week of December.

The cabinet has also approved the constitution of an 11-member committee, comprising family members and notable personalities, to plan and design the final resting place of Garg, the CM said. Zubeen (52), died in Singapore while swimming in the sea on September 19. The Assam Government formed an SIT that is investigating the circumstances that led to his death.

The Chief Minister said a police team from the State will travel to Singapore on October 20 and meet the police authorities there the next day as part of the ongoing probe. In a post on X, Sarma said, “Another step forward towards justice for our beloved Zubeen. The Singapore Police authorities will meet the Assam Police team led by Munna Gupta, ADGP and Head of SIT, on

21st October,” the Chief Minister posted on ‘X’. The Assam Police team, accordingly, will travel to Singapore on October 20, the CM said in a revised post on the social media site. ‘Our collective resolve remains, Justice for Zubeen will prevail,” Sarma said.

Earlier, the Singapore authorities had sent an email through the Indian High Commission, seeking information on the Assam Police officers and their agenda to visit the island nation in connection with the singer’s death, and the special investigation team (SIT) had already sent a reply to the online communication. The Singapore authorities have also received a request for the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to be invoked.

The SIT had summoned 11 people from the Assamese community in Singapore, who were with the singer during his last moments, to appear before it. So far, 10 of them had appeared before the investigating officers, while one person who is a Singapore citizen is yet to come, an officer said.

The Assam Government had constituted the 10-member SIT to investigate the singer’s death in Singapore due to drowning in the sea on September 19.