Zubeen Garg’s last rites today with full state honors; second autopsy to rule out foul play

A massive crowd gathered to bid farewell to late singer Zubeen Garg, whose mortal remains were kept in a glass casket, draped in the traditional Assamese gamosa.

The popular singer died on September 19 while swimming in Singapore without a life jacket. He was in the city to attend the North East India Festival, where he was scheduled to perform the next day. The likely cause of his death is suspected to be an epileptic seizure, as he had been experiencing such episodes over the past five years.

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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a second autopsy on Garg’s body would be conducted on Tuesday to rule out any foul play.

The iconic singer’s cremation will take place on Tuesday at Kamarkuchi in Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati, around 10 a.m. Earlier on Monday, prominent personalities, including Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, singer Papon, and a representative of the King of Bhutan, paid their respects to Garg at the Guwahati stadium.

Fans offered flowers and gamosas, while several people also sang his popular songs outside the venue. With people lining up under intense heat, medical teams were deployed to provide immediate treatment.

Eighty-five members from Garg’s family and close acquaintances will be present at the last rites, which will be performed with full state honours. Garg’s fresh autopsy will be conducted in the morning at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), in the presence of doctors from AIIMS-Guwahati.

All educational institutions in Assam will remain closed today in view of Garg’s last rites, with government offices in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district also closed.