The Zubeen Garg Fan Club is holding a protest demanding justice for late singer Zubeen Garg at Zubeen Khetra in Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati, at 11 am on Monday, October 12. The protest comes amid growing concerns over the progress of the investigation into the singer’s death and the recent grant of bail to accused Amritprabha Mahanta.
Meanwhile, Zubeen Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, several members of the fan club and other admirers of the singer have gathered at the venue to demand justice. A large contingent of Assam Police personnel and paramilitary forces has also been deployed at Zubeen Khetra to maintain security during the protest.
Garima Saikia Garg has raised concerns over the bail granted to the accused and alleged lapses in the investigation, expressing fears that the developments could weaken the case. She has also questioned the alleged tampering of evidence and urged the authorities to ensure that the case proceeds properly.
The protesters are demanding accountability and justice for the late singer, with Garima appealing to people to join the demonstration peacefully.
The family had waited patiently for a year, trusting the legal process and believing that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was moving in the right direction.
According to reports, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly stated that Zubeen Garg had been murdered and those responsible would be punished. The family believed the Chief Minister had evidence to support his statement and that the chargesheet had been filed based on the evidence collected by the SIT.
However, the recent developments, including the bail granted to Amritprabha Mahanta, have raised fresh concerns among the family and supporters about the strength of the case and the possibility of the prosecution being weakened.
“We have waited patiently for a year, believing that the law would deliver justice to Zubeen Garg,” she said.
Garima also questioned how alleged evidence tampering could take place while an accused was in jail and demanded accountability from the investigating team.
“We know that, according to the evidence, there has been tampering. Why would this happen? What about the inquiry? How can he do this from inside the jail? What will happen if they come out? I am standing here because of the people,” she said.
Further, Palmee Borthakur, who joined the peaceful protest, questioned the accountability of the SIT and its head, Rosky Kalita, over the developments in the case.
“We have gathered here to hold a peaceful protest. We do not know much about the law, but people are saying that there are loopholes in the charges. That is true, and the prime accused has been granted bail. People have suspicions, and SIT head Rosky Kalita was in charge. Will she take accountability now?” she said.
She also raised concerns over the alleged tampering of documents, saying the family had learnt about the matter through media reports but had not received any official report.
“If everyone comes out on bail, our case will be weakened. We came to know about the document tampering through the media, but we have not received any report. How can he do this from inside the jail? What kind of jail is this, where no one is there? Is he a VIP or a prisoner?” she said.
Expressing fears that the release of the accused could affect the case, she added, “If they get bail, we will be destroyed.”
Garima Saikia Garg also urged the authorities to ensure that the upcoming judicial proceedings were conducted properly and that the case was not weakened by procedural lapses.
“We do not want to know how the case is progressing, but it should proceed correctly. It is a case between the State and the accused. How can those seven accused be so strong against us when the State has all the power, and we have evidence? Why is this happening, and on what basis are they getting bail? It will create problems for us,” Garima Saikia said.
“We do not know the law. We only want justice for the injustice Zubeen Garg faced. We never expected that we would have to face this,” Garima said.
Questioning the bail granted to Amritprabha Mahanta amid allegations of evidence tampering, Garima said, “How can bail be granted when there are allegations of videos being tampered with and evidence being compromised?”
She further warned that the developments could weaken the case and affect the family's pursuit of justice.
“We have received information about evidence tampering, and if they come out, they will destroy the case,” she added.
Expressing concern over Shyamkanu Mahanta’s alleged attempts to tamper with evidence while in jail, she questioned the safety of the family and others seeking justice.
“If they can do this to a personality as great as Zubeen Garg, who has lakhs of people standing with him, what will happen when they come out? They could threaten us too. Where will our security be?” she said.
Garima also expressed disappointment over the developments, saying the family had believed the investigation was progressing in the right direction.
“I have lost all trust. The main accused has been granted bail. If such a strong team was investigating the case, how could this happen? We believed everything was moving in the right direction,” she added.
“If Zubeen Garg does not get justice, what will happen to the common people?” she said.
Garima Saikia Garg has appealed to people to join the protest peacefully and continue demanding justice for the late singer.
“The accused must be punished,” she added.