Singer Zubeen Garg's close associate appears before CID

Zubeen Garg's close associate Arun on Sunday appeared before CID's Special Investigating Team (SIT) which is probing the singer-composer's death in Singapore last month, officials said.

They, however, did not divulge details of Arun's visit to the CID office here.

Arun, whom Garg considered as family and was among the four persons who had lit his funeral pyre, demanded speedy justice for the deceased icon while talking to reporters later.

The youth had been with Zubeen's family for several years and had even forsaken his family surname and identified himself as 'Arun Garg'.

"We want justice for Dada (elder brother). There has been so much delay," Arun said.

Asked about the alleged financial and other irregularities committed by other close associates of Garg, Arun said, "I don't know of all those things. I work mainly with 'Bou' (sister-in-law, referring to Garg's wife Garima)."

"The only thing I know is that we need justice. Why is it taking so much time?" he questioned.

On Assam-origin residents in Singapore not appearing before the CID even after being summoned twice, Arun said, "Those who are in Singapore should be brought here, they should be dragged here. I don't understand why they are not coming."

Assam Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is probing the death of Garg while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19 and has constituted a 10-member SIT, headed by Special DG Munna Prasad Gupta, for the purpose.

Garg was in the Southeast Asian nation to attend the North East India Festival.

A top CID official had said earlier that statements of Garg's family members will be recorded in due course, along with people who were involved with the singer-composer in different ways.

Statements of several friends, people of the cultural field and others have already been recorded by the investigating agency, with seven arrests made so far in the case.

Those arrested are North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's cousin Sandipan Garg, his manager Siddhartha Sharma, musician Shekharjyoti Goswami, singer Amritprava Mahanta and his two PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.