No foul play in Zubeen Garg's death: Singapore coroner
What's the story
A state coroner in Singapore has ruled that the death of Indian singer Zubeen Garg was due to "an unfortunate and tragic accidental drowning" near an island in September last year. The ruling dismissed a concern about foul play raised by Garg's widow. State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said on Wednesday that the Police Coast Guard (PCG) conducted a thorough investigation into the case before concluding there was no foul play involved.
Incident details
Refused to wear life jacket during second swim
Garg, 52, drowned off Lazarus Island on September 19, 2025. He was in Singapore to perform at the North East India Festival the next day, which was canceled after his death. The singer had been drinking alcohol prior to his drowning and refused to wear a life jacket during his second swim despite being advised by the yacht captain and other passengers.
Toxicology report
Severe intoxication and impaired coordination
A toxicology report revealed that Garg had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, indicating severe intoxication and impaired coordination. This is significantly higher than Singapore's legal limit of 80 milligrams per 100ml. The coroner also found high levels of ethanol in Garg's urine samples.
Medical background
Coroner also looked into other concerns raised
Garg had a history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last known epileptic episode in 2024. While the coroner accepted that he may have suffered an epileptic fit before drowning, there wasn't enough evidence to conclusively support this claim. The court also found nothing "untoward" or "sinister" about the invitation extended to Garg for performing at the festival.
Legal proceedings
What Nakhoda said on conclusion of investigation
Coroner Nakhoda stressed the coroner's court does not determine whether any offenses were committed. "The question of whether an offense is disclosed is the prerogative of the police prosecutor, following investigations conducted by the police." "In circumstances where the police have established that there is no foul play involved, and the public prosecutor has concurred with this conclusion, it would be improper for the coroner to make a finding that criminal offenses were committed," Nakhoda added, per Channel News Asia.