Guwahati: Singapore police have told a coroner’s court that late Zubeen Garg was “severely intoxicated” and swam without life vest when he drowned while swimming near Lazarus Island in Singapore in September 2025.
According to a report by The Straits Times, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) David Lim of the Police Coast Guard said that 53-Years-Old Garg had consumed alcohol and repeatedly refused to wear a life jacket before jumping off a yacht.
The incident occurred on September 19, 2025, while the singer was in Singapore to attend the North East India Festival organised by the Assamese community there.
"As per the testimony, Garg and several others had boarded the yacht at Marina at Keppel Bay around 2 pm and were asked to wear life jackets while swimming. On reaching waters near Lazarus Island around 2.30 pm, Garg initially wore a life vest and entered the water, but later removed it," The Straits Times report claimed.
The report quoted ASP Lim who said Garg returned to the yacht after swimming and had to be helped aboard as he was breathing heavily. He later decided to resume swimming.
Although a smaller life jacket was placed over his shoulders, Garg refused to wear it and began swimming towards Lazarus Island without any safety gear.
“Suddenly, the deceased became motionless and was floating face down,” ASP Lim told the court, adding that witnesses also observed foaming from Garg’s mouth. He was pulled back onto the yacht, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was administered as an emergency call was made at 3.36 pm.
A Police Coast Guard vessel reached the yacht within 10 minutes, after which it was escorted 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.
The investigator told the court that Garg had 333 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in his system, a level that an autopsy report said would have affected his coordination. By comparison, Singapore’s drink-driving limit is 80 mg per 100 ml.
"Witnesses did not indicate any suicidal tendencies, duress or coercion prior to the incident," the report quoted ASP Lim as saying.
Videos recorded by witnesses were played in court, showing Garg removing his life jacket and later struggling to climb back onto the yacht.
The inquiry was attended by members of the public as well as Garg’s uncle Manoj Kumar Borthakur and his nephew.
Addressing the court, Borthakur said the family wanted clarity on the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.
“On Sept 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.
Another witness, Dr Chan Shijia, a pathologist with the Health Sciences Authority, testified that injuries found on Garg, including bruises on his chest and lips, were consistent with resuscitation efforts. She also said medication for hypertension and epilepsy was detected in his blood, with no other drugs present.
State Counsel Sean Teh informed the court that a total of 35 witnesses are expected to testify in the case, with seven scheduled to take the stand on January 14.
Following Garg’s death, a special investigation team in Assam charged several people, including festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, along with Siddhartha Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta, with murder.