The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) member Santanu Bharali has raised concerns over the delay in the investigation into the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore. Speaking at a press conference, Bharali said it is “very important” that the investigating team visits the place of occurrence at the earliest as more than 20 days have already passed since the incident.
“It has already been more than 20 days, and yet the SIT team has not visited the site. This delay is a matter of great concern. Even if there were any vital clues earlier, they might have been lost by now,” Bharali stated, adding that every passing day without a visit reduces the chances of finding crucial evidence.
Questioning the role of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), he said, “What is the SIT team doing? Why have they not visited the place of occurrence in Singapore yet? In a case as serious as that of Zubeen Garg, the SIT should have immediately inspected the location.”
Bharali further said that if there is even a possibility of poisoning, it should have been thoroughly investigated. “In the last 20 days, the only update we have received is that five people have been arrested. Beyond that, there has been no clear progress,” he said.
The AHRC member also said that there is no legal restriction preventing international cooperation in criminal cases. Citing examples of cooperation in the Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi cases, he said that Singapore is a friendly country and would have no reason to deny assistance to Indian authorities.
He also questioned whether any formal case has been registered in Singapore. “If any case has been filed there, how was Shyamkanu Mahanta allowed to leave Singapore and return to India?” he asked.