Tezpur/Guwahati, 24 Sept

Assam’s Sonitpur district administration has ordered a magisterial probe against Tezpur University for allegedly disrespecting cultural icon Zubeen Garg following his death last week. Alongside this, the state opposition has demanded a CBI inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the singer’s demise in Singapore.

Sonitpur District Magistrate Ananda Kumar Das, in an order issued Tuesday evening, said students had alleged that the university authorities failed to give due respect to Garg, who died on 19 September while attending the Northeast India Festival in Singapore.

“It has come to light that no formal Shraddhanjali programme was organised by the University Authorities to honour the life and work of Zubeen Garg. This has hurt the sentiments of the students,” the order noted, adding that derogatory remarks were allegedly made by Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh towards students who had organised their own tribute.

The situation escalated on Monday evening when students confronted the VC, demanding an apology. Instead, Singh reportedly left the campus abruptly, which triggered anger and forced authorities to intervene. Additional District Magistrate Kamal Baruah has been tasked with conducting the probe and submitting a report within 10 days.

The university, in damage control, has since announced plans to install a statue of Garg on campus and explore conferring a posthumous honorary doctorate on him. However, discontent within the institution has deepened, with Public Relations Officer Samaresh Barman resigning in protest, citing the VC’s “autocratic functioning” and the erosion of the university’s founding ethos.

“The Public Relations Office should serve the interests of the University and its students, not promote an individual. I can no longer be part of a system that stifles our voices,” Barman wrote in his resignation letter.

On Wednesday evening, faculty, students, and non-teaching staff held a joint meeting where they unanimously demanded Singh’s removal, calling for “a better person” to lead the historic central university.

The anger reflects the deep public emotion across Assam over Garg’s death. The 52-year-old singer, who drowned while swimming in the sea off Singapore, was cremated with full state honours on Tuesday in Guwahati. For many, he was more than a musician; he was regarded as the voice of a generation who often described himself simply as “human, beyond caste and religion.”

Against this backdrop, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia wrote to President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, seeking a CBI probe into what he termed “suspicious circumstances” surrounding Garg’s death. Saikia alleged that preliminary evidence suggested coercion, claiming Garg had confided to close associates that he was pressured into attending the festival and was instructed to travel with limited companions, breaking his usual pattern.

“This ensured minimal witness presence, reduced protective oversight, and strategically isolated him,” Saikia wrote, also pointing to “contradictory statements” made by chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta. The Assam government earlier in the day banned Mahanta from holding any event in the state.

Other opposition parties, including Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijor Dal (RD), have joined the call for a CBI probe, stressing that only a central agency has the jurisdiction to investigate an incident that occurred on foreign soil. A public interest litigation has also been filed in the Gauhati High Court, seeking a court-monitored inquiry.

“Zubeen Garg’s death is not just a personal tragedy but potentially the silencing of a fearless voice. To ensure public confidence in justice, this case requires the highest level of investigative oversight,” Saikia said.

With a magisterial probe into Tezpur University’s handling of Garg’s legacy underway and political parties demanding a CBI inquiry into his death abroad, the late singer’s name continues to stir emotions across Assam, a testament to his stature as one of the state’s most beloved cultural icons.