Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 18 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the Centre has granted legal approval under Section 208 of BNSS to proceed with the case related to late singer Zubeen Garg's death in Singapore, allowing the state to file a chargesheet by December 10.
Speaking to the reporters, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "As you know, if any incident happens in a foreign country, under Section 208 of BNSS, the prosecuting agency has to take a prior sanction of the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Central Government. Without that sanction, the court will not take cognisance of the matter, and it will not proceed to trial. Today, Union HM Amit Shah has accorded a sanction to proceed with the matter further, and the sanction will enable us to give a chargesheet in time... We'll conclude the investigation within a period of 10 to 15 days, and we'll file our chargesheet before 10th December..."
The Chief Minister also remembered late singer Zubeen Garg on his birth anniversary and said the Centre has now granted the legal approval needed to move forward with the case relating to his death in Singapore.
In a post on X, CM Sarma said, "Today marks the 53rd birthday of our beloved Zubeen Garg, a day that reminds us of his music, his voice, and his irreplaceable place in Assam's heart. On this very day, the Hon'ble Union Home Minister Amit Shah has granted the required sanction under Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to proceed against the accused linked to Zubeen's death in Singapore."
"Section 208 of BNSS, in simple language, says: If a crime is committed outside India, the case can be taken up by the court only after the Central Government gives prior sanction. This sanction is therefore a crucial legal step, allowing us to file charge sheet and move forward firmly and lawfully for trial of the case. We remain fully committed to file the chargesheet against the accused persons within 10th of December 25," the post read.
Zubeen Garg, born on November 18, 1972, in Tura, Meghalaya, came from an Assamese family and was closely tied to his ancestral village, Tamulichiga in Jhanji, Jorhat. Though his musical journey carried him across India and abroad, he always kept a deep emotional bond with the landscapes, culture, and vibrant spirit of Assam and the wider Northeast.
Garg died on September 19, and the Assam government formed an SIT to investigate his death. So far, seven people, including Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma (Zubeen's manager), Shekhar Jyoti Goswami (bandmate), Amritprava Mahanta (co-singer), Sandipan Garg (Zubeen's cousin), and his two PSOs, Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishy, have been arrested by the SIT/CID. The court has sent them to judicial custody. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently told the media that the SIT will submit the chargesheet before the court by December 8. (ANI)