Singapore Police Hand Over Zubeen Garg's Autopsy Report to India; Foul Play Ruled Out
Garg tragically drowned while swimming off St John’s Island in Singapore
Renowned Assam-based singer Zubeen Garg, aged 52, tragically drowned while swimming off St John’s Island in Singapore on September 19, according to updated media reports. Initial claims of a scuba diving accident were corrected, confirming the singer was not scuba diving but swimming when the incident occurred.
Garg was in Singapore to mark the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore diplomatic relations and participate in the North East India Festival, celebrating the India ASEAN Year of Tourism. On the day of the tragedy, he was reportedly with a group on a yacht. A video posted on X, viewed over 600,000 times, showed Garg jumping into the water wearing a life vest. However, sources claim he removed the vest before jumping in again, leading to his drowning.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) ruled out foul play, stating no evidence suggests murder or criminal violence. They provided the Indian High Commission with an autopsy report confirming drowning as the cause of death, as also noted on Garg’s death certificate issued by Singapore General Hospital. Legal expert Ng Kai Ling, quoted by The Straits Times, suggested a coroner’s inquiry might clarify the events leading to the incident.
Also Read: Zubeen Garg’s Festival Organiser, Manager Jailed by Police Fourteen Days
Following his death, Assam Police arrested Garg’s manager, Siddhartha Sharma, and festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta in Delhi on October 1. Charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and negligence, the duo was remanded to 14-day custody in Guwahati. The Assam government formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances of Garg’s death.
Zubeen’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, currently in Jorhat for the singer’s 13th-day rituals, expressed confidence in the investigation. “We are all waiting to know what happened to him in his last moments,” she told reporters, hopeful for answers soon.
The SPF has urged the public not to share videos or images related to Garg’s death, as investigations continue to uncover the full details of this tragic event.
Also Read: Zubeen Garg Drowning Case: Police Nab Festival Organizer, Longtime Manager
