Zubeen Garg was 'severely intoxicated,' refused life jacket: Singapore Police
What's the story
The late Assamese singer Zubeen Garg was "severely intoxicated" and had refused to wear a life jacket before he drowned in Singapore last year, reported The Straits Times. As per the portal, this revelation was made by the Singapore Police during a Coroner's Inquiry into his death on Wednesday. Garg died on September 19, 2025, while swimming off Lazarus Island during a yacht party.
Details
Garg's refusal to wear life jacket despite repeated reminders
Assistant Superintendent of Police David Lim testified that Garg had initially worn a life jacket but later removed it and refused to wear another one. "Despite repeated reminders by the yacht captain to wear one," he said. Witnesses reported seeing Garg attempt to swim back to the yacht before going limp and floating face down in the water.
Investigation
Garg's death and investigation findings
Garg was quickly pulled back onto the yacht, where CPR was administered. However, he was pronounced dead later that day at Singapore General Hospital. An autopsy revealed that Garg had 333mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system. This is significantly above Singapore's drink-driving limit of 80mg per 100ml and India's limit of 30mg per 100ml.
Investigation update
No foul play suspected in Garg's death
On December 19, Singapore Police reiterated that they did not suspect any foul play in Garg's death. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) in India had filed a chargesheet in a Guwahati court on December 12, accusing four of the seven arrested persons of murder. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that Garg's death was not accidental but a murder.
Incident timeline
The incident occurred during a yacht party
Garg was in Singapore for the North East India Festival. On September 19, he boarded a yacht at Marina at Keppel Bay with around 20 others. The group had some drinks and food on board before they dropped anchor between Lazarus Island and St John's Island. Witnesses reported seeing Garg consume several cups of liquor, gin, whiskey, and Guinness Stout before swimming. A death certificate issued by Singapore authorities on September 20 stated that Garg died by drowning.