Coroner’s inquiry into Zubeen Garg’s death to open in Singapore on Jan 14

Singapore, Dec 29: A coroner’s inquiry into the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg will open in Singapore on January 14, according to a report by Channel News Asia on Monday.

The hearing will be held at the State Courts after Singapore police submitted their findings to State Coroner Adam Nakhoda for the inquest.

A coroner’s inquiry is a fact-finding judicial process to determine how, when and where a person died. Under the Coroners Act, the coroner does not make findings that ascribe criminal liability.

Coroner’s inquiries are generally conducted in open court unless there are sufficient reasons to hold them otherwise. The proceedings may conclude in a single day or extend over multiple days.

At the end of the inquiry, the coroner will record findings on the circumstances surrounding the death.

Garg, 52, died in Singapore on September 19, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival (NEIF) 2025 edition.

Singapore police had earlier said they received a call for assistance at St John’s Island on the day of the incident. Garg was found unconscious and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Earlier this month, Singapore police had said investigations into Garg’s death were ongoing and that a coroner’s inquiry was scheduled for January and February 2026.

They have maintained that, based on findings so far, there is no suspicion of foul play and have urged the public not to speculate on the circumstances of the singer’s death.

Meanwhile, in Assam, legal scrutiny over the case continues. On December 27, senior lawyer A R Bhuyan, one of the petitioners seeking justice for Garg, raised concerns over alleged shortcomings in the investigation and the charge sheet filed in the Kamrup (Metro) Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court.

Bhuyan said it was premature to conclude whether justice would ultimately be delivered.

Highlighting the scope of cross-border cooperation, Bhuyan referred to the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between India and Singapore.

“Under the MLAT, all kinds of evidence can be legally obtained from Singapore and produced before Indian courts to prosecute the accused. That process has not yet been reflected in the case,” he said, adding that proving criminal conspiracy requires rigorous standards of proof.

Earlier, a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Special Director General of Police Munna Prasad Gupta, submitted its charge sheet before the Kamrup (Metro) Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court on December 12.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 3.

PTI