 "Zubeen Garg death probe: Who has been arrested? What has autopsy revealed?")
Singer Zubeen Garg’s sudden death has triggered a wave of grief and anger in Assam. The 52-year-old, who was in Singapore for the Northeast India Festival last month, reportedly died while swimming.
Dozens of complaints were filed across Assam against the festival organiser and Zubeen’s manager for alleged negligence and mismanagement leading to the singer’s death. Now, arrests have been made in the case. The autopsy report of the Assamese superstar has also come to light.
We take a look.
How did Zubeen Garg die?
Musician Zubeen Garg was found dead on September 19 after he went swimming during a yacht outing in Singapore’s St John’s Island. As per The Straits Times, he was on the yacht with more than a dozen people.
A video posted on X on September 20 purportedly showed the singer, wearing a life vest, jumping into the water for a swim. The person who posted the video claimed that Zubeen had taken off his life jacket minutes later and jumped into the water again, reported the Singaporean daily.
The singer was taken out of the water unconscious and rushed to Singapore General Hospital. However, he passed away the same day.
The death certificate of the musician issued by Singapore authorities listed the cause as “drowning”, as per Indian Express.
Zubeen Garg’s death rocked Assam, with the state and his fans mourning alongside the singer’s family.
The singer was in Singapore to attend the 4th edition of the NorthEast India Festival and was slated to perform on September 20.
His death sparked intense outcry. More than 60 FIRs were filed across the northeastern state, alleging negligence by organisers and those around him.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Assam government ordered a probe. A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate the death of the singer in Singapore.
Arrests made in Zubeen Garg’s death case
On Wednesday (October 1), Assam’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested Zubeen’s manager Siddhartha Sharma and NorthEast India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta.
While Sharma was detained in Gurgaon, Mahanta was arrested at the Delhi airport by the Assam Police. Both were later flown to Assam’s Guwahati for questioning and sent to 14-day police custody.
The Assam CID had registered a consolidated case in the matter against Mahanta, Sharma and others under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence.
A day after the two men’s arrest, an additional charge of BNS section 103, pertaining to murder, was added to the case.
More arrests have since been made. The Assam Police on Thursday (October 2) evening arrested musicians Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta in connection with Zubeen’s death. The two were on the yacht in Singapore when Garg died, reported PTI.
A court in Assam on Friday sent drummer Goswami and co-singer Amritprabha to 14 days of police remand.
Speaking to News18, Zubeen’s wife, Garima Garg, alleged that her husband was unexpectedly taken to a picnic despite being visibly exhausted from his previous tours. She said she last talked to the singer a day before his death and he did not mention any picnic.
“He usually sleeps during the day, maybe he was forcefully taken. He was also on, I don’t even know if he was given his medicines," she said.
Autopsy of Zubeen Garg
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday that it had provided the autopsy report of Zubeen Garg to the High Commission of India. A spokesman of SPF told The Straits Times that they had also extended preliminary findings on the singer’s death to the commission upon request.
“Police investigations are currently underway in the matter, while the public has been advised to refrain from sharing any videos or images related to the matter,” the police said in a statement.
SPF had earlier ruled out foul play in Zubeen’s death.
#BreakingNews | Zubeen Garg Death: #Singapore Police Speak To Singer's Wife, Gives Autopsy Report To Indian Embassy@KamalikaSengupt @akankshaswarups | #ZubeenGarg pic.twitter.com/XbFWWvvXb7
— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 3, 2025
Speaking to the Singaporean daily, Ng Kai Ling, associate director at LIMN Law Corporation, said that there is no statutory definition for the term “foul play”, but SPF’s initial statement could mean that they do not suspect that the Assamese singer was murdered or died due to criminal violence.
She said: “In the case of Zubeen Garg, a coroner’s inquiry could possibly shed light on the sequence of events leading up to his drowning.”
A second post-mortem examination of the singer has been conducted in Guwahati.
Munna Prasad Gupta, the Special DGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), told PTI that they are awaiting the final report, as the viscera samples have been sent to Delhi.
“We had sent the viscera samples to the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFL) in Delhi for a detailed examination. Once that report is received, the post-mortem report by the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital will be ready and available to us,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
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