Assam: Zubeen Garg’s death a cultural loss, says wife Garima; questions manager

Guwahati: The sudden death of popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg has shocked the entire country and deeply affected the music community in Assam.

In an interview with CNN-News18, his wife, Garima Garg, shared details about his passing and raised concerns about the involvement of his manager.

Zubeen was in Singapore to attend events celebrating 60 years of India-Singapore diplomatic relations. He died by drowning while swimming.

Following his death, all scheduled events were cancelled. Huge crowds gathered for his last rites in Assam, showing the impact he had on fans across the country.

The Singapore Police confirmed that he drowned while swimming near the coast and ruled out any foul play. They have shared the autopsy report with his family.

Garima, however, said Zubeen was very tired from previous tours and questioned why he was taken for a swim. “Why wasn’t he taken care of when his manager was with him?” she asked, calling the loss of Zubeen a major blow to Assam’s culture.

Zubeen’s manager, Siddhartha Sharma, and event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta were arrested in Delhi.

They have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.

Garima also said Zubeen had no history of heart problems and did not mention any picnic plans when they last spoke on September 18, the night before his death.

“He usually rests during the day. Maybe he was forced to go. He was also on medication—I don’t know if he was given his medicines,” she said.

When she asked Siddhartha what had happened, he told her that Zubeen had a seizure while in the water.