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Tributes pour in for KK, cardiac arrest likely caused death
The singer had complained of chest pain on Tuesday night after he performed at a concert in Kolkata and collapsed in his hotel room.
The Kolkata Police on Wednesday registered a case of unnatural death in connection with the sudden demise of 53-year-old singer Krishnakumar Kunnath — popularly known as KK — on Tuesday night, said West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas.
The singer had complained of chest pain on Tuesday night after he performed at a concert in Kolkata and collapsed in his hotel room. He was declared ‘brought dead’ at a private hospital. The police case came against the backdrop of allegations of overcrowding at the venue, with the air-conditioners not working. Videos that emerged on Wednesday show a profusely sweating KK complaining about the heat.
KK’s wife and children arrived in the Bengal capital on Wednesday morning to take his body back to Mumbai. A post-mortem was conducted on Wednesday at the state-run SSKM hospital which indicated the cause of death as cardiac arrest.
The state government paid tribute to the popular singer with a gun salute by the Kolkata Police in the presence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee who rushed back from Bankura district, cutting short a political rally.
Later in the day, minister Biswas accompanied the singer’s family to the Kolkata airport from where the body was flown to Mumbai. The cremation is scheduled for Thursday.
KK was in the city to perform at shows organised at south Kolkata’s Nazrul Manch by two colleges on Monday and Tuesday.
The unnatural death case was registered at the New Market police station. The probe is being supervised by joint commissioner of police (crime) Muralidhar Sharma.
A senior official from the private hospital where KK was taken on Tuesday night said the doctors on duty did not issue a death certificate for the singer after they declared him dead on arrival. This led to the registration of the case and post mortem, with the family’s consent, in accordance to the law, police officials said.
According to a senior police officer a forensic team was sent to the hotel where KK was staying.
The officer said the hotel staff also told the police that KK collapsed around 9.15 pm and was brought down to the ground floor on a stretcher before being taken to the private hospital in one of the hotel’s vehicles. The car left the hotel around 9.45 pm, said the officer.
The singer’s handkerchief and some food samples were collected from the hotel room.
“We are trying to find out why KK did not opt to go to a hospital while returning to the hotel and whether there was any negligence on the part of the hotel staff,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.
KK’s manager, Ritesh Bhatt, who was with him on Tuesday night, said the singer started feeling uncomfortable in the car while returning to the hotel. “He was okay at the auditorium. While returning, he said he was feeling extremely cold and asked the driver to switch off the AC. He said he was having cramps in his arms and feet. After reaching the hotel, he even posed with fans for photos and gave autographs. He collapsed after reaching his room,” Bhatt told reporters after the police recorded his statement.
A political tussle also sprung up over the singer’s death with opposition leaders alleging mismanagement of the venue and alleging that ruling Tinamool Congress (TMC) workers “oversold” tickets to the show.
According to Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, over 6,000 people crowded into the Nazrul Manch auditorium, which has a seating capacity of only 2,482.
“The AC system at Nazrul Manch is in perfect order. KK fell ill and complained of excessive heat because the ACs became virtually useless with 7,000 people gathering at a place meant for 2,000. Yet, he kept singing,” said Hakim, who also heads the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority that owns Nazrul Manch.
Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya and state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded an inquiry into the singer’s death amid allegations that Tuesday’s show was marked by mismanagement and unruly scenes that affected KK’s health. Many people who went to the event also alleged that the air-conditioning system was not working.
KMDA director general Supriya Maity conducted an inspection at the auditorium on Wednesday where the staff said the crowd broke open a gate to enter the venue. “I will submit a report to the government,” Maity said.
Students Federation of India (SFI) national general secretary Mayukh Biswas alleged that the TMC-led Gurudas College students’ Union, the organisers of Tuesday’s show, sold tickets “in black” to make money.
Pankaj Ghosh, president of Gurudas College students’ union, denied the allegation.
A doctor in the private hospital where KK was brought also denied reports that there were injuries on the singer when he was brought into the hospital. “There was a minor cut on the face apparently caused by the fall when KK collapsed. There was no head injury or face injury as is being reported. There was no bleeding. There were no vital signs when KK’s body was brought here.”
Dr PK Hazra, director of interventional cardiology at AMRI Hospitals, Dhakuria, said: “We heard KK was having cold sweat and cramps while returning to the hotel. It seems he was suffering from circulatory failure and having a heart attack. It goes without saying that there was a lot of delay in deciding that he should be taken to a hospital. Otherwise, he would have at least got a chance at recovery. This shows lack of awareness. Also, there should be medical teams at venues where such a large number of people gather.”
Singer Usha Uthup was among those who visited the hospital to pay their last respects to KK before his body was taken for the post-mortem.