Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said the state government has completed a long and detailed investigation into the death of singer Zubeen Garg, and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has now filed the chargesheet before the court. Speaking to reporters after the submission of the 12,000-page document, the Chief Minister said the case has reached a crucial stage and the next steps will now depend on the judiciary.
Sarma said the SIT has worked for months to put together the case. “After a prolonged investigation and a lot of hard labour, we have filed a chargesheet in the court. We have full respect for our judiciary. We know about their independence, their impartiality, and the way the judiciary always gives a victim justice and fair play. So now it is over to the court. We are confident the court will give us justice,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced two major steps the government plans to take next. First, the state will approach the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to set up a fast-track court for the case. Second, the government will appoint a special public prosecutor to handle the trial. He said both steps will begin only after the case is committed to the Sessions Court and the judge takes cognizance of the chargesheet. 
Sarma said the SIT has clearly established the motive and the criminal conspiracy behind the singer’s death. He said the findings were examined by the Advocate General and the Director of Prosecution, both of whom agreed that the evidence is strong.
“Yes, the motive and criminal conspiracy have clearly been tracked. It has been examined by the Advocate General and the Director of Prosecution. Everyone is convinced that this is a case where conviction is possible. In fact, they are sure the prosecution will be able to secure conviction,” the Chief Minister said.
He also said the state government has a different approach regarding the future course of the investigation. After the preliminary legal processes are completed, the government plans to transfer the case to a central investigative agency for further probe.
“Once this issue is resolved and the case goes to regular trial, by the end of this month or the beginning of next month, we will share some documents with all of you. However, the matter will be sent to a Central Investigation Agency for further investigation because in a case with so much complexity, only a state-level SIT may not be able to unearth everything completely,” he said.
Sarma added that the evidence already collected is strong enough to draw conclusions against the accused persons. “Whatever we have achieved or unearthed is sufficient to draw a conclusion against the accused,” he said, thanking the SIT team for its work.
