Singapore Court Rules Zubeen Garg's Death an Accidental Drowning, Finds No Foul Play

A Singapore court has officially ruled that the death of celebrated Assamese singer-composer Zubeen Garg was the result of an accidental drowning, bringing a formal close to a coroner's inquiry that had been closely watched across Assam and Northeast India.

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda delivered his findings on March 25, concluding that Zubeen's death was "simply due to an unfortunate and tragic accidental drowning."

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Zubeen Garg, 52, was found floating face down in the waters off Lazarus Island in Singapore on September 19, 2025, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival — organised to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and India.

Coroner Nakhoda found that no one had forced, coerced, or pushed Zubeen into the water. He also found no evidence that swimmers who attempted to rescue him had deliberately held his face underwater.

The coroner directly addressed concerns raised by Zubeen's widow, Garima Saikia Garg, stating that the Police Coast Guard had carried out a comprehensive and thorough investigation, and that he had no reason to disagree with their conclusion of no foul play.

A toxicology report revealed that Zubeen had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 milligrams per 100 ml of blood at the time of his death — more than four times Singapore's legal limit of 80 milligrams per 100 ml. A high concentration of ethanol was also found in his urine samples.

The coroner found that Zubeen had been consuming alcohol in the days leading up to and on the day of his death, and that this level of intoxication likely impaired his judgement significantly.

This included his decision to remove his life jacket during his first swim and his firm refusal to wear it on his second swim, despite being specifically asked to do so by the yacht captain and other passengers on board.

The court also heard that Zubeen had a known medical history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last recorded epileptic episode in 2024.

While Coroner Nakhoda accepted that an epileptic fit prior to drowning was possible, he said the evidence was not conclusive enough to make a definitive finding on the matter.

Zubeen's uncle, Manoj Borthakur, had attended an earlier hearing and raised questions on behalf of the family — including why Zubeen had entered the sea and whether he had done so of his own free will.

The coroner concluded that Zubeen had voluntarily gone on both swims and was not forced or pushed into the water. He also found that those who attempted to rescue him had done so to the best of their abilities.

Coroner Nakhoda emphasised that no one has been charged in Singapore in connection with Zubeen's death. He stressed that in circumstances where the police have found no foul play and the public prosecutor has agreed with that conclusion, it would be improper for the coroner to make a finding of criminal offences.

The death certificate issued by Singapore General Hospital lists the official cause of death as drowning.