Zubeen Garg tragedy: Police in S’pore provide Indian High Commission with autopsy report
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Emotions have been running high among Zubeen Garg's fans ever since his death was confirmed.
PHOTO: AFP
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SINGAPORE - Indian musician Zubeen Garg died on Sept 19 after swimming in waters off St John’s Island, and not while scuba diving, as was initially reported by Indian media.
In response to queries by The Straits Times on Oct 1, a spokesman for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they have extended a copy of the autopsy report, along with its preliminary findings on Garg’s death, to the High Commission of India, upon its request.
SPF had earlier ruled out foul play.
The 52-year-old was with more than a dozen people on an unnamed yacht on Sept 19 when tragedy struck
According to the person who posted the video, which has since garnered over 600,000 views, Garg took off his life jacket minutes later and jumped into the water again.
The popular singer, who was born in the north Indian state of Assam, was pulled out of the water unconscious. He was rushed to Singapore General Hospital but died that same day.
According to Indian media reports, Garg’s death certificate, issued by a Singapore hospital, lists the cause of death as drowning.
However, the Assam government has ordered a second post-mortem in India.
The singer was in Singapore to attend the North-East Festival – an event showcasing products and cultural heritage of India’s north-eastern region – and was scheduled to perform on Sept 20.
The event was organised by the local Assamese community.
The incident sparked intense speculation in India, with the Indian government calling for a probe and requesting the help of Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs on Sept 29.
Two Assam police officers also travelled to Singapore to seek assistance from the authorities, according to Indian media outlet NDTV.
The Assam government has set up a 10-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death.
Notices were sent to several people who had either travelled with him or were part of the event.
These included festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, members of the Singapore Assam Association and close associates of the singer.
Police in India said both Mr Sharma and Mr Mahanta were supposed to present their statements before the SIT earlier, but they failed to appear. Their absence triggered search operations last week, with raids conducted at their homes.
Mr Sharma was eventually picked up from an apartment in Delhi, while Mr Mahanta was detained at the city’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as he returned from Singapore.
Both men were later flown to Guwahati
Fans gathering to pay their respects to Zubeen Garg in Guwahati, India, on Sept 21.
PHOTO: AFP
In Assam, emotions have been running high ever since Garg’s death was confirmed. His fans, who adored him not just as a singer but also as an icon of Assamese identity, had earlier stormed Mr Sharma’s house in Guwahati.
The protest turned violent and clashes broke out with police.
SPF said members of the public in Singapore are advised not to share any videos or images related to Garg’s death.
Ms Ng Kai Ling, associate director at LIMN Law Corporation, said that there is no statutory definition for the term “foul play”, but SPF’s initial statement could be understood to mean that they do not suspect that Garg was murdered or died as a result of some criminal violence.
Ms Ng added that a coroner’s inquiry could ascertain the identity of the deceased and how, when and where the death took place.
She said: “In the case of Zubeen Garg, a coroner’s inquiry could possibly shed light on the sequence of events leading up to his drowning.”
