Assam Extends Probe Into Musician Zubeen Garg's Death

Guwahati: The Assam government granted the judicial commission probing Zubeen Garg's death another three months to finish its work. Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court leads the one-man inquiry. The panel will now operate until at least early October. This marks the second time the state pushed back the original six-month deadline.

Garg died September 19 while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore. He was there to attend the North East India Festival. The commission must look into potential negligence or criminal acts. It specifically examines "whether any external factors, including the possibility of foul play, conspiracy, or unlawful acts, contributed to or were connected with the incident."

Multiple people remain behind bars. Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, Amrit Prabha Mahanta, Sandipan Garg, Nandeswar Bora, and Prabin Baishya face charges ranging from murder to criminal conspiracy. A Special Investigation Team started the case after locals filed over 60 FIRs across the state.

Singapore police ruled the death an accidental drowning, noting the singer was drunk and ignored safety gear. Assam officials remain undeterred by those foreign findings. The probe in India pushes forward despite the conflicting reports from abroad.