India Asks Singapore To Help Probe Assam Singer Zubeen Garg's Death

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that the Centre has formally invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with Singapore, seeking cooperation in the investigation into the death of singer Zubeen Garg in the Southeast Asian country.

The Assam government had submitted a request on Monday to the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking the invocation of the treaty with Singapore in connection with the singer's death in the island country.

''The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has now formally invoked the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) in connection with the FIR lodged by Assam Police regarding the unfortunate demise of our beloved Zubeen,'' the chief minister posted on 'X'.

The MHA's Under Secretary (Legal), Parveen Singh, in a communication to the First Secretary (Commerce) in the High Commission of India in Singapore, T Prabhakar, stated that the "original Mutual Legal Assistance request may be forwarded to the Attorney General of Singapore (the central authority of that country), suitably indicating the requirements for legal assistance in investigating the case registered with Assam police, India," the chief minister said.

''It is further requested that on receipt of a response/execution report, the same may please be forwarded to this ministry (MHA) for onward transmission to the investigating agency,'' the letter stated.

Mr Sarma had said on Monday that once the MLAT was invoked, it would ensure full cooperation from Singaporean authorities, give access to case details, and provide assistance to bring back the accused and secure justice.

The Assam government has constituted a 10-member SIT, led by Special DGP MP Gupta, to investigate the singer's death in Singapore due to drowning in the sea on September 19.

Two Assam Police officers are already in Singapore to seek assistance from the authorities concerned in Singapore, Mr Sarma said.

The SIT has already issued notices to several people who had gone to attend the North East India Festival in Singapore before it, and record their statements.

Chief Organiser of NEIF Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma, and members of the Singapore Assam Association are among those who have been served such notices.

The chief minister had said earlier that a 'lookout notice' through the Interpol had been issued against Mahanta and Sharma, asking them to appear before the CID on October 6.

The singer, whom the NEIF organisers claimed to be their brand ambassador, had gone to Singapore on September 17 and was scheduled to perform on September 20.

The festival was cancelled following the death of Garg, who had gone with members of the Assamese community in Singapore on a yacht trip and drowned in the sea while swimming.

More than 60 FIRs, including one by his family, have been filed. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)