chargesheet-to-detail-how-zubeen-was-made-to-drink-looted-sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday alleged that late singer Zubeen Garg had been systematically exploited by individuals who deliberately intoxicated him to siphon off his earnings, claiming that the forthcoming chargesheet in the case would shed light on the alleged manipulation.

 

Speaking to reporters in Nalbari, the Chief Minister said, "Zubeen Garg was made to drink alcohol in order to loot his wealth. Some people fed him alcohol and exploited him. Many explosive details have come to light in the investigation."

 

Sarma stated that preliminary findings indicated that the singer had not been an alcohol consumer by choice but was pushed into dependency by people who stood to gain financially.

 

"As far as I know, Zubeen did not drink alcohol himself… in order to loot his wealth… when he went to sing, he was made to drink. A Bihu committee gave him Rs 5 lakh for the show, and Zubeen was told he was given Rs 2.5 lakh. He was intoxicated and believed the same, and that’s how a certain group indulged him in alcohol and looted him," Sarma said.

Also read: Zubeen Garg probe nearing end, CM repeats ‘murder’ claim

The Chief Minister added that Zubeen would often visit him in the mornings, and had never appeared under the influence during those meetings. "The number of times Zubeen came to me in the morning, he was never drunk. The things he said in the evening were only because he was made to drink, and the same has come up in his death investigation, that Zubeen was made to drink and not that he drank himself," he said.

 

Sarma appealed to the public not to associate the singer’s legacy with alcohol use. "Hence, I would request the public not to associate Zubeen with alcohol. In the chargesheet, the public will come to know more about it. In my life, I have met Zubeen over 50 times; he was never drunk."

 

The remarks come as the state continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of the widely adored artist, whose influence on Assamese music and culture endures. The authorities have indicated that further details will be revealed once the chargesheet is filed.