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Assam govt to conduct 2nd autopsy on Zubeen Garg to rule out foul play: Himanta
The Assam government will conduct a second post-mortem on singer Zubeen Garg's body to investigate his death during a swimming incident in Singapore.
GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Monday decided to conduct another post-mortem on singer Zubeen Garg’s body to rule out any foul play in his death during a swimming incident in Singapore on September 19, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.
“A new demand has cropped up on social media on Tuesday seeking another post-mortem of Garg’s body in Assam. In view of that and after taking consent of his family, the state government has decided to conduct another post-mortem on Garg’s body in Guwahati on Tuesday,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Garg, 52, who had gone to Singapore on September 17 to take part in the North East Festival, an annual event to showcase the region’s culture abroad, died while swimming at sea. It was suspected that an epileptic seizure could be linked to his death. Garg had had a few instances of such seizures in the past five years.
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Authorities in Singapore had conducted an autopsy on September 19 before handing over his body to his associates. A death certificate listed drowning as the cause of death. HT has reviewed the document
Sarma said the fresh post-mortem would be conducted at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Tuesday morning in the presence of some doctors of AIIMS-Guwahati.
His body, which was brought to Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati to enable people to pay their respects on Sunday, would be brought back to the stadium after the autopsy. It will then be taken for the last rites to be held at Kamarkuchi at Sonapur on the outskirts around 10 am with around 85 members of Garg’s family, relatives and close associates. The last rites will be performed with full state honours, Sarma said.
Earlier, police complaints were filed with multiple police stations against organisers of the North East Festival, Shyam Kanu Mahanta and Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, accusing them of foul play in the death. These cases have been handed over to the state criminal investigation department (CID) for investigation.
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One more case was filed on Tuesday by an organisation called Nari Mukti Bahini against the festival organisers and some others in Garg’s team. The new FIR includes the names of a member of Garg’s band and an owner of a TV channel.
“This new case has also been transferred to the CID. But since CID is already probing the case, I urge all to have faith in this investigation and not file fresh cases in connection with this,” Sarma said, urging everyone who has some evidence of foul play in Garg’s death to submit that to the authorities.
The CM said that the Assam government would send a letter rogatory to the Singapore government and send a team of Assam Police officers to Singapore to obtain details about the case from the authorities.
Sarma earlier announced that all educational institutions in Assam would remain closed on Tuesday in view of Garg’s last rites. Government offices in the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district would also remain closed.
The Assam government initially announced a three-day state mourning from September 20 to 22, but the cabinet on Sunday decided to extend it by another day to give everyone a chance to pay tribute to the singer.
