Zubeen Garg death case opens at Singapore court; first witness flags alcohol use

Guwahati, Jan 14: Fresh details emerging from the coroner’s inquiry into the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg have revealed that the artiste was severely intoxicated and not wearing a life jacket when he drowned off Lazarus Island in Singapore in September 2025.

Testifying before the Coroner’s Court that began the hearing on Wednesday, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) David Lim of the Police Coast Guard said Garg, 53, had consumed alcohol and repeatedly refused to wear a life vest before jumping into the water from a yacht.

Lim was the first witness to take the stand in the inquiry, according to several reports by Singapore-based news publications and broadcasters, including The Straits Times and Channel News Asia.

Lim reportedly told the court that Garg and several others boarded the yacht from Marina at Keppel Bay around 2 pm on September 19, 2025.

As part of safety protocol, all passengers were advised to wear life jackets before swimming. When the yacht reached waters near Lazarus Island around 3 pm, Garg entered the water wearing a life jacket but removed it shortly afterwards, saying it was too big for him.

After returning briefly to the yacht, Garg appeared breathless and needed assistance to climb aboard. Despite this, he decided to resume swimming.

A smaller life jacket was offered to him, but he refused to wear it and swam towards Lazarus Island without any flotation device, Lim said.

According to the investigator, friends on the yacht repeatedly urged Garg to swim back. Moments later, he became motionless and was seen floating face down in the water, with froth reportedly visible at his mouth.

He was pulled back onto the yacht, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated and an emergency call was made at 3.36 pm.

A Police Coast Guard vessel reached the yacht within 10 minutes and escorted it to Marina South Pier.

Garg was taken by ambulance to Singapore General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5.13 pm. The cause of death was determined to be drowning.

An autopsy report presented in court stated that Garg had 333 milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in his system; a level that would have significantly impaired coordination.

Medications for hypertension and epilepsy, conditions Garg had a history of, were also detected, but no other drugs were found.

Injuries observed on his chest and lips were consistent with resuscitation efforts, testified Dr Chan Shijia, a pathologist with the Health Sciences Authority.

Mobile phone videos submitted as evidence showed Garg removing his life jacket and struggling while attempting to return to the yacht.

The hearing was reportedly attended by members of the public as well as Garg’s uncle and nephew. Before testimony began, Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Bothakur, sought permission to address the court, saying the family wanted clarity on the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.

“On September 19, Zubeen walked out of his hotel room alive and full of promise, but at the end of the day he was gone,” he said, adding that the family and fans wanted to know whether Garg entered the water on his own or was encouraged to do so.

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda clarified that the inquiry was meant to establish the cause and circumstances of death, not to fix blame.

Garg, a hugely popular cultural icon from Assam, was in Singapore to attend the North East India Festival organised by the Assamese community there.

Meanwhile, in Assam, the framing of charges in the Garg death case at the Kamrup Metro Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court is unlikely at the next hearing scheduled for January 17.

Newly appointed Special Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar said on January 11 that he has not yet received all case files since taking charge of the prosecution.

The coroner’s hearing in Singapore is continuing, with 35 witnesses listed to testify, as the case remains under intense public and legal scrutiny on both sides of the border.