Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam`s chief minister, has provided an update on the mortal remains of late singer Zubeen Garg, who died at the age of 52 in Singapore on Friday. On Saturday, he posted on X (previously Twitter) that Zubeen`s post-mortem will be conducted in Singapore, after which his “mortal remains will be handed over to Indian authorities.” In another tweet, he stated that his mortal remains will be stored in Sarusajai, Guwahati, for supporters “to pay their last tributes.”
Assam CM Himanta shared
Himanta stated that the post-mortem will end around 11.30 a.m. IST (2 p.m. SGT). “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.
Earlier, Himanta had mentioned, “I am in constant touch with the High Commissioner of India HE Dr Shilpak Ambule. We are coordinating to ensure beloved Zubeen’s mortal remains return to Assam at the earliest. As soon as the process is firmed up, I will share an update. @HCI_Singapore.”
The Assam Chief Minister added, “We hope to bring Zubeen back to Guwahati as soon as possible. There will be an opportunity for the public to pay their final respects at Sarusajai.”
The Assam Chief Minister, along with his wife Riniki, also paid a visit to Zubeen`s residence in Guwahati. They met the late singer`s wife, Garima Saikia Garg. Sharing images, the Assam Chief Minister tweeted, “Riniki and I visited the residence of our beloved Zubeen in Guwahati to stand in solidarity with his family in this hour of grief.”
“Thousands of his admirers are waiting on the streets to have his last glimpse – we are constantly in touch to bring him back to Assam soon,” he added.
Zubeen had travelled to Singapore for the North East Festival, where he was due to perform. He died a day before his festival performance, supposedly due to breathing problems during scuba diving.
About Zubeen`s sudden demise
In a statement mourning Zubeen`s passing, the Assam Chief Minister stated that Zubeen`s voice had an unrivalled power to energise people, and his music spoke straight to their minds and souls. “Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons, and I am at a loss for words to describe what Zubeen meant for the state. He has gone too early; this was not an age to go. His unique voice stirred the masses, created music that touched the hearts and souls of people from all walks of life. His untimely death will leave a void and will never be filled,” he said.
In a statement, the Northeast India Festival mentioned that Zubeen suffered breathing difficulties during scuba diving. “He was immediately given CPR before being rushed to Singapore General Hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he was declared deceased in the ICU around 2:30 PM IST,” the statement added as quoted by news agency ANI.
