Zubeen Garg declined life jacket during yacht outing, not murdered: Singapore coroner’s court
Popular Assamese singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg declined to wear a life jacket shortly before he drowned during a yacht outing in Singapore last September, a coroner’s court was told on Wednesday, media reports said.
Garg, 52, was part of a private yacht party on September 19, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore.
According to testimony cited by Channel News Asia, the singer initially wore a life jacket during his first swim but later removed it, saying he was tired.
When he decided to re-enter the water, Garg was offered a second, smaller life jacket, which he refused. He then entered the sea without any flotation aid and began swimming alone towards Lazarus Island.
Several witnesses told the court they saw Garg attempting to swim back to the yacht before he suddenly went limp and was later found floating face down in the water.
He was pulled back onto the yacht, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered. However, he was pronounced dead later that day.
An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drowning. Injuries found on his body were attributed to rescue and CPR efforts.
Toxicology tests showed the presence of medication for hypertension and epilepsy in his blood, with no other drugs detected.
The court was informed that Garg had a medical history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last known epileptic episode occurring in 2024. It remains unclear whether he had taken his epilepsy medication on the day of the incident, as witness accounts were inconclusive.
The forensic pathologist testified that there were no clear signs of a seizure, such as a bitten tongue, and therefore it could not be determined whether Garg had suffered one before drowning.
Multiple witnesses, including the yacht’s captain, stated that alcohol was consumed by most passengers.
One witness said Garg had consumed liquor, gin, whisky and sips of Guinness stout. A toxicology report revealed his blood alcohol concentration was 333 milligrams per 100ml, indicating severe intoxication with impaired coordination and reflexes.
The yacht captain testified that Garg appeared unable to walk properly when he boarded the vessel and that he had conducted two safety briefings.
He also said he warned Garg’s friends that the singer should not enter the water without a life jacket due to his intoxicated state.
Singapore police have said they do not suspect any criminal offence in Garg’s death.
Meanwhile, in India, the Assam Police have formed a Special Investigation Team after more than 60 FIRs were filed across the state.
Four people — festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma, and band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta — have been charged with murder.
A fifth accused, Garg’s cousin and suspended police officer Sandipan Garg, has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
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