Assam to seek Singapore evidence in Zubeen Garg’s death; fresh autopsy before final rites

Guwahati, Sept 22: The Assam government will send a Letters Rogatory to Singapore to procure all evidence related to the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg.

A team of Assam Police will soon travel to the country to obtain the evidence, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said during a press briefing, on Monday.

"There is a procedure. We have to move the Gauhati Court. It will issue a Letters Rogatory, and with that, our team would visit Singapore. We hope they will cooperate," he explained.

Letters Rogatory are formal requests from a court in one country to a court in another, seeking judicial assistance, often related to obtaining evidence or testimony.

The development comes following a change in the schedule for Garg’s final rites, scheduled on Tuesday. The government has decided to conduct a fresh post-mortem of the singer before laying him to rest at his samadhikhetra in Kamarkuchi, Sonapur.

"At 7:30 am, we will take him to Gauhati Medical College for a fresh post-mortem. It will take one to one-and-a-half hours. We will then bring him back to Sarusajai, and between 9:30 and 10 am, we will be able to take him for his final journey," the Chief Minister said, adding that the decision has the consent of Garg’s family.

"His family has also consented through Pabitra Margherita," Sarma added.

However, he noted that a fresh autopsy was unnecessary after the one conducted in Singapore, which he described as "a neutral country”.

"We are doing it again for certain people like Akhil Gogoi so that there is no controversy in the future," he said.

Sarma also expressed reservations about the fresh report, noting Singapore’s technical superiority in conducting autopsies. "The report cannot be better than Singapore, as they are more technically better placed than us," he said.

Speaking personally, the Chief Minister said he is a fan of Garg and would prefer that the singer’s body not be disturbed again.

"Personally, I am a big fan of Zubeen Garg and I don’t want his body to be cut up. But as Chief Minister, I cannot act on emotion alone; I must decide based on mitigating circumstances," he said.

‘No tolerance for disorder’

The Chief Minister also issued a stern warning to those attempting to disrupt law and order in the city in the past two days.

"From 2 pm tomorrow, if anybody tries to force the closure of shops or businesses, the administration will take strict action. The same applies to anyone who disrespects Zubeen’s legacy or engages in delinquent behaviour," he said, adding that orders for prompt arrests have already been issued.

Citing an incident on Monday night along Zoo Road, where some people allegedly attempted to vandalise a pharmacy, Sarma said, "Those involved in unlawful activities are being investigated, and action will follow soon based on recorded evidence."

In a strongly worded statement, the Chief Minister added, "Zubeen was a people’s artiste, not a representative of delinquents."

He also appealed to the public to provide any information regarding the events in Singapore on September 19 that led to Garg’s death. "Those people who are making claims on social media without proof, the law may call them in for statement recording," he warned.