Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has granted the necessary sanction under Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to proceed against the accused linked to the death of legendary Assamese singer Zubeen Garg.
Sarma’s announcement came on Tuesday, the first birth anniversary of the singer, post his death in September. Assam is celebrating Garg’s birthday with several organisations, including political parties, holding day-long programmes to honour one of the most influential musical artists from the state. Garg was born at Tura in Meghalaya on November 18, 1972.
“Today marks the 53rd birthday of our beloved Zubeen Garg — a day that reminds us of his music, his voice,
and his irreplaceable place in Assam’s heart. On this very day, the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Sri @AmitShah Ji has granted the required sanction under Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to proceed against the accused linked to Zubeen’s death in Singapore,” Sarma said in a post on X.
Today marks the 53rd birthday of our beloved Zubeen Garg — a day that reminds us of his music, his voice, and his irreplaceable place in Assam’s heart.
On this very day, the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Sri @AmitShah Ji has granted the required sanction under Section 208 of the…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 18, 2025
Section 208 of the BNSS says that if a crime is committed outside India, the case can be taken up by the court only after the central government gives prior sanction.
Sarma said that this sanction is a crucial legal step, allowing the administration to file a charge sheet and move forward firmly and lawfully for the trial of the case.
He said that they remain fully committed to file the charge sheet against the accused persons within December 10 this year.
Zubeen Garg Death Case
Zubeen Garg passed away in Singapore on September 19 after an alleged drowning incident. His body was flown to the national capital, Delhi, and later transported to Assam on a commercial flight that landed in Guwahati.
The CID is currently probing Garg’s death after more than 60 FIRs were lodged across the state against Mahanta, the main organiser of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore where the singer had gone to perform, and almost 10 others, including the Assamese cultural icon’s manager Sarma. Garima Garg, wife of the late singer Zubeen Garg, said she remains confident in the legal process and is hopeful justice will be delivered.
The SIT was constituted to investigate the singer’s death during the Northeast India Festival in Singapore on September 19. Authorities said Zubeen Garg died by drowning.
Subsequently, seven people, including festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, his manager Siddhartha Sharma, his cousin Sandipan Garg, musician Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, singer Amritprabha Mahanta and two Personal Security Officers (PSO), were arrested.
Sarma had said in October that the charge sheet by the SIT will be submitted within the stipulated period of three months and the investigations were proceeding on expected lines.
The Assam government is very serious about Zubeen Garg’s death and ”we will definitely ensure justice to him and nobody will be spared in that context”, he said.
He said that the SIT has assured him that investigations will be completed by the end of November and the chargesheet will be submitted most likely in the first week of December.
The Assam cabinet had also recently decided that the state government will request the Gauhati High Court for a fast-track court to decide and deliver justice on Zubeen Garg’s death case.
(With inputs from agencies)
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