'Singer Zubeen to be cremated with full state honours on September 23 near Guwahati,' says Assam CM Himanta

Zubeen Garg left a lasting legacy

Popular singer Zubeen Garg will be cremated with full state honours on September 23 at a village near Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.

The decision to cremate Zubeen at Kamarkuchi NC village was taken during a cabinet meeting, considering the family's wish that his last rites be performed at a place in or around Guwahati, Sarma said at a press conference.

There were also demands from the people of the Upper Assam town of Jorhat, where the singer had spent his formative years, that he be cremated there, he said.

''We discussed both the proposals. Zubeen does not belong to the government and so his family's choice should be given priority,'' Sarma said.

The state government had declared a three-day mourning till September 22, but it has been extended by another day for his cremation, the CM said.

Sarma also said the Singapore government has issued the singer's death certificate, which states that he died due to drowning.

''The Indian High Commission in Singapore has sent us the death certificate, and we have also requested that the postmortem report should be also sent to us at the earliest,'' Sarma added.

Zubeen died in Singapore on Friday, while swimming in the sea without a life jacket.