Zubeen Garg
By Nava Thakuria*
Singapore Ruling on Zubeen Garg Sparks Fresh Questions
Guwahati: Bad news has come from Singapore for the millions of fans and followers of Zubeen Garg. The renowned Assamese singer died under mysterious circumstances in the island nation on September 19 last year, and the local police department has now made it clear that Zubeen died while swimming in the sea without a life jacket under the influence of alcohol. A leading Southeast Asian newspaper, The Straits Times, reported on January 14 that the 53-year-old Zubeen had consumed alcohol and had refused to wear a life jacket before jumping off a yacht. Eventually, on that day, Zubeen drowned in the waters near Lazarus Island. Citing the statement of David Lim, a Singapore police investigator who was testifying before a coroner’s inquiry into Zubeen’s death, the English daily also reported that when his friends tried to persuade Zubeen to swim back to the yacht, he suddenly became unresponsive.
A police coast guard investigator also told the court that Zubeen was quickly pulled back onto the yacht, where attempts were made to revive him, but he was later declared dead at 5:15 pm (local time) at Singapore General Hospital. The officer reiterated that the cause of death was drowning and added that Zubeen had come to Singapore to perform at a grand event—the fourth North East India Festival (NEIF)—held on September 20 at the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre. Claiming that the famous singer had no suicidal tendencies and that there was no pressure or coercion on him before his death, the officer also said that Zubeen was not wearing a life jacket despite the yacht’s captain repeatedly reminding him to do so.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Zubeen had 333 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, which could have affected his coordination. In Singapore, the current legal limit for drunk driving is only 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Testifying in court, the yacht captain said that around 15 people had boarded the vessel at the marina, and many of them (mostly members of the Assam Association Singapore) were already intoxicated, along with Zubeen. Quoting the captain’s statement, the newspaper reported that Zubeen was so unsteady that his friends had to hold him by the arms while he was boarding the yacht. It was also added that no one had forced Zubeen to drink alcohol or to enter the water.
The Singapore event (September 19, 20, and 21, 2025) was a celebratory occasion marking the 60th anniversary of India–Singapore diplomatic relations and the India–ASEAN Tourism Year. According to India’s trusted news agency PTI, the fourth NEIF was organised by Trend MMS in collaboration with the Indian High Commission in Singapore, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the state governments of the North Eastern region, along with the Assam and North East India Association. Earlier editions of NEIF were held in Bangkok (2019, 2022) and Ho Chi Minh City (2023), attracting large audiences. Several artists from Northeast India were invited for the festival, and Zubeen was seen in a promotional video.
While the Singapore police may not have found any foul play in Zubeen’s death, the incident became a major issue in Assam, forcing the government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police to probe the case. The SIT arrested seven people (including NEIF organiser Shyamkano Mahanta, Zubeen’s manager Siddharth Sharma, fellow musician Shekharjyoti Goswami, Amritprabha Mahanta, his cousin Sandipan Garg, and two personal security officers). A police team also travelled to Singapore to collect essential information related to the investigation. On December 12, a chargesheet running over 2,500 pages was filed, and the trial began. For security reasons, all the accused were produced virtually from their respective jails before the Kamrup (Metropolitan) District Sessions Court.
Soon after the bad news from Singapore emerged, Zubeen’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, appealed to both the Assam government and the Central government to closely monitor the court proceedings in Singapore so that necessary diplomatic and legal intervention could be made. She also insisted on a fast-track hearing under a special bench of the court. Otherwise, hearing more than 300 witnesses in this sensational case would take a very long time. Taking advantage of the situation, opposition Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi criticised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his inappropriate statements, in which Sarma had claimed that Zubeen was murdered as part of a conspiracy. The state Congress chief raised a serious question: whom should the people of Assam now believe regarding Zubeen’s untimely death, when Singaporean authorities have repeatedly asserted that it was not unnatural?
Responding to the Opposition’s criticism, Chief Minister Sarma stood by his position and said that the Assam Police team had conducted a better investigation than the Singapore police. Even though the Singapore investigation team could not find any foul play behind Zubeen’s unnatural death, the state police team charged four of the seven accused with murder. Meanwhile, speaking to this writer, a legal expert said that the Zubeen murder case may not last more than a few days. Once the Singapore court delivers its verdict (possibly before Indian judicial proceedings conclude), it could have negative repercussions here as well, disappointing Zubeen’s millions of followers who have taken to the streets demanding justice. Ahead of the Assembly elections (scheduled for April), political parties may try to take advantage of the Zubeen murder/death case, which could adversely affect the quest for justice sought by Zubeen’s millions of supporters.
*Senior journalist
