A recent media report clarifies the tragic passing of acclaimed singer-musician Zubeen Garg, confirming he drowned while swimming off a Singapore island, not during a scuba diving excursion as initially reported. The incident occurred on September 19, while Garg was in Singapore participating in events celebrating the 60th year of India-Singapore Diplomatic Relations, the India ASEAN Year of Tourism, and the North East India Festival.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has provided a copy of the autopsy report, including its preliminary findings, to the High Commission of India. Sources indicate the report clearly states the cause of death as drowning. The SPF had previously stated they found no evidence of foul play in the 52-year-old singer’s death.
Ng Kai Ling, an associate director at LIMN Law Corporation in Singapore, commented that a coroner’s inquiry might offer further clarity on the sequence of events leading to the drowning. While there isn’t a strict legal definition of “foul play,” the SPF’s initial assessment suggested they did not suspect murder or criminal violence.
On September 19, Zubeen Garg was pulled unconscious from the waters off St. John’s Island, Singapore, and rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where he later passed away. Earlier media accounts mentioned the singer was on an unnamed yacht with over a dozen people when the tragedy occurred.
A video, widely shared online, showed Garg jumping into the water wearing a life vest. However, other reports claim he removed the vest minutes later before re-entering the water. The SPF has urged the public not to circulate any videos or images related to Garg’s death.
The death certificate issued by a Singapore hospital consistently lists drowning as the cause. In India, the Assam Police have made arrests in connection with Garg’s death. His manager, Siddhartha Sharma, and festival chief organizer, Shyamkanu Mahanta, were apprehended in Delhi on Wednesday and subsequently remanded to 14-day police custody in Guwahati.
The duo faces charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence. Zubeen’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, expressed her satisfaction with the arrests, stating that the family is eager to learn the full details of what transpired during his final moments. She voiced her complete trust in the investigating team to uncover the truth. The Assam government has established a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death in Singapore.