Zubeen Garg’s autopsy confirms drowning; Singapore authorities rule out foul play

Guwahati: Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, who passed away in Singapore last month, drowned while swimming near St John’s Island, according to official findings, contrary to earlier reports that claimed he had been scuba diving.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF), as reported by The Straits Times, has confirmed that it shared the autopsy report and preliminary findings with the High Commission of India in Singapore. Authorities have ruled out any foul play in the 52-year-old artist’s death.

Legal expert Ng Kai Ling, associate director at LIMN Law Corporation, told the publication that a coroner’s inquiry could help clarify the events leading to the drowning.

She noted that such proceedings are intended to determine the deceased’s identity and the circumstances, including the time, place, and manner, of death.

On September 19, authorities found Garg unconscious in the waters near St John’s Island.

Paramedics rushed him to Singapore General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead the same day. The hospital-issued death certificate cited drowning as the cause.

Videos circulated online showed Garg jumping into the sea wearing a life vest.

However, subsequent reports suggested he had removed the flotation device before re-entering the water.

The SPF has since urged the public not to share images or footage linked to the incident.

Garg had travelled to Singapore to participate in celebrations commemorating 60 years of India-Singapore diplomatic ties and the India-ASEAN Year of Tourism.

Organisers had scheduled Zubeen Garg to perform at the North East India Festival from September 19 to 21, but they cancelled the event following his untimely death.

In a major development, Assam Police on Wednesday arrested Siddhartha Sharma, Garg’s manager, and Shyamkanu Mahanta, the chief organiser of the festival, in Delhi.

Senior officials stated that the two face charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence.

Authorities in both Singapore and India continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of one of Assam’s most celebrated cultural figures.