Assam SIT receives Zubeen Garg’s viscera report

GUWAHATI

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the death of Assamese cultural icon Zubeen Garg while he was swimming off an island in Singapore on September 18, has received the viscera report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in New Delhi.

SIT head and Special Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Munna Prasad Gupta, told journalists in Guwahati on Saturday (October 11, 2025) that the viscera report had been sent to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

He said a committee constituted by the hospital would study the viscera report and submit the final autopsy report to the SIT. “Once received, we will submit the report to the court and hand over a copy to Zubeen Garg’s family,” he said.

The viscera samples were sent to the forensic lab in New Delhi after the second autopsy on Garg at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. This post-mortem was conducted before Garg’s mortal remains were cremated on September 23.

The first autopsy was conducted in Singapore on September 19.

“We will have to wait for the final autopsy report to conclude,” Mr. Gupta said, reacting to reports that Garg could have been poisoned. Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, one of Garg’s bandmates, has claimed the singer-composer died because he was poisoned by his manager Siddharth Sharma and North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta.

Garg was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore.

Mr. Goswami, Mr. Sharma, and Mr. Mahanta are among seven people arrested in connection with Garg’s death. The others are Garg’s cousin, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandipan Garg, personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, and co-singer Amritprabha Mahanta.

Mr. Gupta also said the Singapore authorities were processing India’s request for a probe in the island country. Various political parties and social media users have been criticising the SIT for failing to send a team to Singapore to investigate and grill some people who were with Garg during his last few hours.

“We sent a request under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to Singapore through the Ministry of Home Affairs for materials needed in the probe, such as CCTV footage and statements of certain people. The police cannot go to another country and start investigating without the necessary clearance,” he said.

“The office of the Attorney General, which is the nodal agency in Singapore, received our request. It is examining the request and will let us know. We cannot investigate in that country without its approval and without the support of the Singapore police,” Mr. Gupta said.

The SIT sent notices to 11 Singapore-based Assamese people who were on the yacht during the singer’s last moments. So far, one of them, Rupkamal Kalita, has deposed before the probe team.

“We are taking steps to ensure the remaining 10 Singapore-based NRIs (Non Resident Indians) come for interrogation,” Mr. Gupta said.