Singapore authorities confirm autopsy of Zubeen''s body to be conducted on Saturday: Himanta

Guwahati, Sep 20 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Singapore authorities have confirmed that a post-mortem examination of singer Zubeen Garg's body will be conducted on Saturday and his mortal remains will be handed over thereafter.

Garg, best known for his 'Ya Ali' song, died in Singapore on Friday, while "swimming in the sea without a life jacket".

''Singaporean authorities have confirmed that a post-mortem of our beloved Zubeen Garg will be conducted. We expect this to conclude by 2 PM SGT...Thereafter, his mortal remains will be handed over to Indian authorities, and we shall begin the process of bringing him home. Shall keep all of you posted," Sarma wrote on X.

According to Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Shilpak Ambule, Garg had gone with 17 others on a yacht trip and died while "swimming in the sea without a life jacket", Sarma said on Friday night.

The crew members of the yacht and guards had insisted that Garg should wear it, the CM said.

"Garg had initially worn the life jacket, but after a few seconds, he took it off, claiming that it was oversized and he was finding it difficult to swim," Sarma said.

"The high commissioner has sent me a list of people accompanying Zubeen, and it includes 11 people, including one Abhimanyu Talukdar, who had booked the yacht, from the Assamese community living in Singapore, four members of the singer's team, and two crew members,'' Sarma said after visiting the singer's residence in Kahilipara area here on Friday night.

The singer was "found floating in the sea, and the crew of the yacht tried to revive him, and he was again given CPR at the port" before being rushed to the Singapore General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the chief minister said.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during cardiac or respiratory arrest.

The Singapore authorities are questioning the people who had accompanied the singer, Sarma said.

"The Indian high commissioner has also informed that the autopsy will be conducted on Saturday, and we are hoping that Zubeen can return to his land by Saturday evening," the CM said.

''When all the formalities are completed, his mortal remains will be first brought to Delhi and then flown to Guwahati by Saturday," he said.

Sarma said that since all the people accompanying Garg are Indian citizens, ''we will approach the Union home ministry on the procedure to be followed to ensure that our concerned authorities question them as the people of the state have the right to know what exactly happened to their icon in his last few minutes".

The chief minister said that the singer's mortal remains will be kept in the Sarusajai Stadium for the people to pay their last respects, and ''all other arrangements will be made after the arrival of the Garg's body." The singer's family said that "since Garg was popular among the people of Assam, they will decide how his last rites will be conducted", he said.

"The family will fully cooperate with the people and the government in this regard," Sarma said.

Asked whether his body will be brought to his residence, the CM said, ''We will discuss it again with his family as his father is ailing and wants to see him for the last time." On the demand of the people of Jorhat, Garg's hometown, the CM said, ''cremation and memorial are two different issues and we will take a final decision only after Zubeen arrives in Assam". PTI DG DG BDC