Guwahati: The untimely demise of Assam’s beloved singer and actor Zubeen Garg continues to send ripples of grief across the state, as the demand for justice grows stronger by the day. In the latest development, several prominent individuals and key organisations have declined to attend a Special Investigation Team (SIT) meeting called by the Assam Police to discuss the ongoing probe into the artiste’s mysterious death.
Senior journalist Rajdeep Bailung Baruah clarified his position on social media, stating that he, along with other invitees, had been called to attend the SIT meeting despite having no formal role in the legal or medical aspects of the investigation. “We are neither legal advisors nor health specialists, yet we have been invited to attend an SIT meeting scheduled for tomorrow. On what basis this invitation was extended, we do not know. We have found no opportunity to meaningfully participate in this meeting. Therefore, we will not be attending,” Baruah wrote, adding that he places full trust in the judicial process and that his decision to abstain is personal.
Alongside Baruah, renowned writer Anuradha Sharma Pujari, intellectual Phanindra Dev Choudhury and Rahul Gautam Sharma a prominent singer and close aide of Zubeen Garg have also chosen not to participate in the meeting. The Assam Police had extended invitations to several senior journalists, intellectuals, and public figures for the discussion, which is scheduled to take place at the Assam Police Guest House on Tuesday at 4 PM. Officials had planned to brief the attendees on the latest progress in the case and address queries related to the ongoing investigation.
However, one of Assam’s most influential student bodies, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), has also formally declined the SIT’s invitation. In a statement issued by AASU president Utpal Sharma, general secretary Samiran Phukan, and chief advisor Dr. Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya, the organisation said its decision was made after extensive legal consultation with senior advocates of the Gauhati High Court. AASU emphasised that its non-participation was intended to prevent the accused from using their attendance as a legal loophole to question the impartiality of the investigation in court.
In its official letter to Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, who heads the SIT, AASU expressed the collective sentiment of the people of Assam, stating that the investigation into Zubeen Garg’s death must be “swift, transparent, and uncompromising.” The union urged the SIT to prepare a watertight charge sheet supported by strong evidence and witness testimony so that “the guilty cannot escape through legal loopholes.” Reaffirming its stance, AASU declared that those responsible for Zubeen Garg’s death must face the strictest punishment to serve as a deterrent.
While several figures have declined to attend, senior journalist Atanu Bhuyan confirmed through a social media post that he would participate in the meeting. “Tomorrow, the SIT has called a meeting to brief me and 15 other individuals from various fields about the investigation into Zubeen Garg’s mysterious death. I will attend as a journalist without any personal opinion,” he wrote. Bhuyan said he considered it his responsibility to convey accurate updates to the public, adding, “The people of Assam are extremely eager to know about the mystery surrounding Zubeen’s death. Informing them about details that could ease their anxiety is my duty as a journalist.”
With emotions running high and public trust hinging on transparency, the investigation into Zubeen Garg’s death remains under intense scrutiny. While many continue to place faith in the SIT’s efforts, the refusal of several prominent voices and organisations to participate in the consultative meeting highlights growing public demand for clarity, accountability, and justice for the artiste whose music defined generations.
Read More: Assam ADRE Grade IV Results to Be Announced on October 15
