ASSAM, India, – Maverick singer Zubeen Garg was always reported extensively by the local media, and his mysterious death, thousands of kilometres away in Singapore, gave enough space for the media fraternity to narrate stories.
Critics in Assam now start making observations that if anyone prefers to experience conflicting media reports following a cult-like personality’s demise under an unexplained situation on foreign soil, he (or she) needs to reach Assam, as the journalists here have attained a rare expertise to describe stories as they determine.
With no quote or sound bite from the location, the Guwahati-based television anchors earned a rare capacity to kill time with unorganized narrations that often confused the audience.
So when the heartbreaking news surfaced from Singapore that shocked the entire population of northeast India, multiple media outlets started toiling for conflicting reports that puzzled the viewers in realizing the real fact, Â how the cultural icon had to die in the island nation.
The initial sadness and melancholy slowly turned into outrage among millions of Zubeen’s fans and admirers.
The netizens also cried foul, why his tragic incident was not properly reported, even though a group of Asomiya people (including a journalist, a news channel owner, a police officer and many media-savvy individuals) accompanied  Zubeen to participate in the 4th North East India Festival.
As the sad news broke in the afternoon hours of 19 September, Assam came to a standstill. Guwahati turned into a sea of humans- weeping, sobbing, crying and exclaiming why Zubeen was put to death in seawaters.
The phenomenal singer’s last journey on 21 September in a flower-decked ambulance, two days of public viewing and homage at Sarusajai stadium and cremation at Kamarkuchi near Guwahati on 23 September with full state honours after four days of mourning witnessed unprecedented crowds.
Many recollected sad memories relating to the final departure of Dr Bhupen Hazarika (8 September 1926 – 5 November 2011), another widely acclaimed singer, musician, writer, filmmaker and public communicator, when the residents of the eastern Indian subcontinent grieved in total for many days.
Born to a modest family of  Mohini Mohon Borthakur (a retired magistrate who used to write poems with pen-name Kapil Thakur) and Ily Borthakur (a classical singer, who died some years back) in Tura of Meghalaya, adjacent to western Assam, on 18 November 1972, Zubeen was named in childhood days as Jiban Borthakur (later adopted new name with admiration to maestro Zubin Mehta).
He had two sisters, namely Jonkey (who died in a road accident two decades back while travelling to a distant place for performing in a cultural show) and Palme, a city-based professional. Married to popular fashion designer Garima Saikia in 2002, Zubeen got all-India fame with his resounding voice in the song ‘Ya Ali..’ for the Bollywood movie Gangster.
An animal lover, a philanthropist and versatile genius, Zubeen sang thousands of songs in multiple languages and could play several musical instruments. Awarded with various honours, the identity of Assam’s hugely popular Bihu functioned in recent decades. Zubeen also produced and acted in Assamese movies.
Meanwhile, all the newspapers of Assam dedicated front pages for Zubeen-related developments and news channels started telecasting all important updates round the clock. Hundreds of thousands of Zubeen’s well-wishers started a massive campaign on social media demanding justice for the flamboyant artiste.
Now, more than 60 police complaints were lodged in various localities in Assam alleging that Zubeen had to die in Singapore because of the collective callousness shown by Shyamkanu Mahanta (chief organizer of the festival in Singapore, where Zubeen was scheduled to perform),  Siddharth Sharma (his manager), Shekarjyoti Goswami and Sanjive Narain.
Facing unprecedented public cries, the State government urgently formed a special investigation team (SIT) under the crime investigation department (CID) of Assam Police.
As the investigation proceeds, Mahanta, Sharma, along with Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta (a Zubeen’s co-signer), are arrested under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanghita, and many others continue facing interrogations.
Lately, Â murder charges have been brought in the case, and the government declared the formation of a judicial commission under Justice Soumitra Saikia, a sitting judge of Gauhati High Court, to monitor the investigation.
Amidst all developments, the prime accused, Mahanta, is reported to be approaching the Supreme Court for transferring the case from Assam. In his appeal to the apex court (on 30 September), Mahanta urged to hand over the probe to a central agency to be monitored by a retired SC Â judge.
The young entrepreneur, who is incidentally the younger brother of a former director general of police (presently chief of the State information commission) and a current vice-chancellor of an Assam-based prestigious university, also sought protection of his life and properties.
Zubeen’s widow, Garima Saikia, insisted on extracting all details relating to the unfortunate incident from the accused individuals. She lamented that Zubeen was like a child, and he loved, helped and trusted everyone.
The video clips, circulated on social media, show him as exhausted during the swimming. Zubeen had a medical issue, and the doctors advised him to avoid going near the fire and water, but the group of people brought Zubeen to a yacht party and even encouraged him to swim. She cried out, asking everyone among them to be questioned.
However, The Straits Times, Singapore’s widely circulated daily, reported that the Singaporean police ruled out foul play in Zubeen’s death (during a sea outing in waters off St John’s Island and not after scuba diving as initially reported by international media outlets).
Speaking to the acclaimed newspaper, a Singapore Police Force (SPF) spokesman on 1 October stated that a copy of the autopsy report (issued by the Singapore hospital), along with its preliminary findings on Zubeen’s demise (due to drowning), was sent to the High Commission of India, upon its request.
Quoting Ng Kai Ling, associate director at LIMN Law Corporation, the newspaper claimed that SPF’s initial statement could be assumed to mean that they do not suspect Zubeen was murdered or that he died as a result of criminal violence. She pointed out that ‘a coroner’s inquiry’ could ascertain the sequence of events that led to his drowning and subsequent death.
