Guwahati: A day after Singapore police told the court there was no foul play in the death of Zubeen Garg, the singer’s family urged the Centre and Assam government to take diplomatic and legal steps to ensure that all relevant facts are placed before the coroner’s court in Singapore.
The Assamese cultural icon died on September 19, 2025 while swimming in the sea at Singapore, where he had gone to take part in the North East India Festival.
Singapore police told the coroner’s court that Zubeen was inebriated and refused to wear a life jacket before venturing for a swim in the sea.
“We respectfully urge the Government of India and the Government of Assam to monitor the proceedings in the Singapore Coroner’s Court at the highest level, take all necessary diplomatic and legal steps to ensure that every relevant fact is placed before the court, pursue expeditious and effective prosecution in India on the basis of the charge sheet already filed, ensure that neither jurisdiction becomes an excuse for delay or dilution,” Zubeen’s wife Garrima Saikia Garg, his sister Palmee Borthakur and paternal uncle Manoj Borthakur said in a post on Facebook.
There was a massive outpouring of grief in Assam following the death of the 52-year-old singer, songwriter, composer and actor.
The special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the state government to probe the case, arrested seven persons including the festival organiser, Zubeen’s manager, two bandmates, his cousin (who is also a police officer) and two security officials assigned to him.
In its chargesheet submitted last month, the SIT accused five persons — festival organiser, Zubeen’s manager, cousin and two bandmates – of conspiring and murdering Zubeen, while two security officials were accused of financial irregularities.
The family pointed out on Thursday that Manoj Borthakur had submitted a detailed statement in the Singapore court on Wednesday, placing on record “specific factual questions” on planning of the September 19 outing, Zubeen’s physical and medical condition at the time, safety measures on the yacht, the circumstances in which he entered the sea, the words spoken at that moment, the response of the people around him in the yacht when he showed visible distress, the negligence (of those present in the yacht) visible in the videos circulating in social media, the timing and adequacy of medical assistance and also the scope of the finding of ‘no foul play’ by the Singapore police.
“These questions arise automatically and they are a family’s right and duty when a life ends suddenly under unclear circumstances,” the family’s post said. The family added they only sought a transparent and detailed examination of the circumstances related to the death so that “the guilty is punished to the highest level”.
