GUWAHATI: Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg entered the waters off Lazarus Island without a life jacket and drowned while drunk over four times the legal limit, with toxicology detecting hypertension and epilepsy medication but no other drugs, Channel News Asia reported Wednesday quoting proceedings at a coroner’s court in Singapore.The inquiry is expected to record a neutral finding such as “misadventure”. Singapore police last month said they do not “suspect foul play in the death”, while authorities in Assam pursued alleged murder charges against seven people.Singapore’s chief investigating officer said Zubeen Garg, 52, boarded a yacht at Marina at Keppel Bay on Sept 19, 2025, with about 20 friends and colleagues, and he was seen drinking gin, whisky and stout. The yacht anchored between Lazarus and St John’s islands. Garg swam wearing a life jacket that was too large, returned to the boat saying he was tired, then re-entered the water and declined a smaller jacket offered to him, swimming alone toward Lazarus Island.Witnesses shouted for him to return. He turned back, became motionless and floated face down. Rescued and given CPR, Garg had no pulse when the Police Coast Guard arrived within nine minutes. He was pronounced dead at Singapore General Hospital at 5.15pm. Autopsy confirmed drowning. Police have said they do not suspect foul play.Singapore coroner Adam Nakhoda said some lines of questioning were not relevant to the circumstances of death and allowed Garg’s uncle Manoj Kumar Borthakur to question witnesses directly. About 35 witnesses are slated to testify, including yacht passengers, the captain, police officers and paramedics. Borthakur told the court Garg had left his hotel “alive and full of promise” and family members want to know whether there were delays or lapses in medical response. Garg’s wife Garima Saikia Garg – unable to attend – raised similar concerns.In Assam, the account is starkly different. A police SIT has charged seven people, alleging murder and culpable homicide not amounting to murder, citing alleged financial motives. Garg died a day before his concert at the North East India Festival in Singapore. Those arrested include festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta; Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma; cousin Sandipon Garg; two personal security officers; drummer Shekhar Jyoti Goswami; and singer Amritprabha Mahanta. They are lodged in two jails.Sharma allegedly siphoned off funds from Garg and invested Rs 1.1 crore in a packaged drinking water plant, a motive investigators said is central to the alleged murder. Two jurisdictions now move on separate tracks – Singapore seeking clarity on how Garg died, Assam seeking accountability for who, if anyone, is responsible.
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