A preliminary investigation into the death of popular Assamese singer-composer Zubeen Garga has ruled out any foul play, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday.
However, the inquest may take up to three months to conclude, after which its findings will be presented to the state coroner for further proceedings.
Garg died on September 19 after drowning while swimming off St John’s Island in Singapore. The singer was in the city-state to perform at the Northeast India Festival scheduled for September 20-21.
Once the SPF’s investigation is complete, the findings will be presented to the State Coroner in Singapore “who will then decide whether to hold a Coroner’s Inquest (CI)”, the statement said.
A coroner’s inquest is a fact-finding process conducted by a coroner to determine the cause and circumstances of a death, the findings of which are made public when concluded.
The SPF said it had shared a copy of Gargo’s post-mortem report and preliminary findings with the High Commission of India on October 1 at their request, despite the ongoing investigation.
The SPF is committed to conducting a thorough and professional investigation into the case and this will take time, the statement also said.
“We ask for the patience and understanding of the parties involved. In the meantime, we urge the public not to speculate and spread unverified information,” police said.
The SPF said it was aware of “speculation and false information circulating online” about the circumstances of the popular Indian singer’s death.
Rahul Gandhi in Guwahati to pay tribute to Zubeen Garg
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, left for Guwahati on Friday to pay homage to Zubeen Garg.
According to a PTI report, he was received by Assam Pradesh Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and other senior state leaders of the party at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.
Gandhi went to Garg’s resting place in Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati to pay his respects to the late singer.
Gandhi will also visit the singer’s residence to offer condolences to the bereaved family members before leaving for New Delhi.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s visit to pay tribute to cultural icon Zubeen Garg will be 28 days after his death, but it is still ”better late than never”.
“We expected a senior Congress leader like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi or someone else to be present at the singer’s cremation,” the chief minister said at a press conference, PTI reported.
