The body of Zubeen Garg kept in a glass casket for antim darshan in Assam
By Nava Thakuria*
Singapore Tragedy: Mystery at Sea Deepens
Guwahati: Was Zubeen Garg, Assam’s maverick and beloved cultural icon, murdered in Singapore? The question hangs heavy over the state, stirring outrage, grief, and unrelenting calls for justice. His sudden death, thousands of kilometers away from his homeland, has transformed Assam into a cauldron of suspicion, speculation, and mourning.
The tragedy struck on September 19, 2025, when reports emerged that Zubeen had died during a sea outing off St John’s Island, sending shockwaves through northeast India. With scant official information from Singapore, local television anchors and newsrooms wove their own versions of events, often leaving audiences puzzled. From the moment breaking news flashed across screens, emotions ran high—heartbreak shifting rapidly into anger among millions of admirers demanding to know how such a vibrant life was lost in foreign waters.
Amid this chaos, allegations began to surface. A group of people had travelled with Zubeen to attend the 4th North East India Festival in Singapore, including a journalist, a news channel owner, a police officer, and others well-versed in media. Social platforms erupted with claims that his death was mishandled, with some accusing those present of failing to protect him. The streets of Guwahati mirrored the fury online, masses thronging to mourn, to cry, and to question.
The days following his death saw Assam’s media dedicate front pages and 24-hour bulletins to the case. Nearly 60 police complaints were lodged against festival chief Shyamkanu Mahanta, manager Siddharth Sharma, associate Shekarjyoti Goswami, and media owner Sanjive Narain, alleging negligence and complicity. The State swiftly responded by forming a special investigation team (SIT) under the CID.
Arrests soon followed, with Mahanta, Sharma, Goswami, and Amritprabha Mahanta taken into custody under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanghita. Murder charges were later added, and a judicial commission led by Justice Soumitra Saikia was set up to monitor the probe. Mahanta, meanwhile, moved the Supreme Court on September 30 seeking to transfer the case to a central agency monitored by a retired apex court judge, citing threats to his life and property.
Garima Saikia Garg, Zubeen’s widow, has been adamant in her demand for answers. She paints a chilling picture: Zubeen was medically advised to avoid water, yet he was brought to a yacht party and encouraged to swim. Video clips circulating online show him visibly exhausted in the water before tragedy struck. To her, every person present during that outing should face questioning.
Yet, Singapore’s official stance paints a different picture. On 1 October, The Straits Times quoted the Singapore Police Force as saying the autopsy confirmed drowning as the cause of death and ruled out foul play. Legal voices there suggested that while no criminal violence is suspected, a coroner’s inquiry could reveal the precise chain of events leading to the fatal incident.
For Assam, however, the official line does little to quell suspicion.
From September 21, 2025, when his flower-decked ambulance carried him for public homage at Sarusajai Stadium, to his cremation on September 23 with full state honours at Kamarkuchi, an ocean of humanity gathered, reminiscent of the collective grief after Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s passing in 2011. The scale confirmed Zubeen’s stature—not just as a singer but as a heartbeat of Assam’s cultural soul.
Born Jiban Borthakur on November 18, 1972, in Tura, Meghalaya, to poet Mohini Mohon Borthakur and classical singer Ily Borthakur, Zubeen changed his name in admiration of maestro Zubin Mehta. His journey was filled with personal loss—his sister Jonkey died in an accident, his mother passed away years earlier—but also with monumental success. Married to designer Garima Saikia since 2002, fame came nationwide with the Bollywood hit “Ya Ali” from the movie, Gangster. A philanthropist, animal lover, multi-instrumentalist, and actor, Zubeen recorded thousands of songs in multiple languages and defined the modern face of Assam’s iconic Bihu celebrations.
The mystery of whether Zubeen Garg was murdered in Singapore or lost to a cruel accident remains unsolved—leaving his millions of fans determined to keep the question alive until justice answers it.
*Senior journalist
