Singapore court hears singer was intoxicated, declined life jacket before drowning
January 14, 2026: A Singapore court has been told that Assamese singer Zubeen Garg was “severely intoxicated” when he drowned off Lazarus Island in September last year. The 52-year-old artist died a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival. According to investigators, Garg initially wore a life jacket but later removed it and declined to put on another one when offered.
Witness accounts presented in court revealed that Garg was seen attempting to swim back to a yacht before he went limp and began floating face-down in the water. The chief investigating officer told the court that multiple witnesses observed the incident and confirmed that the singer appeared heavily intoxicated at the time of the accident, as reported by Channel News Asia.
The Singapore court proceedings come amid parallel developments in India. Earlier this month, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police’s CID filed a charge sheet in the case. Seven people have been arrested so far, with four accused charged with murder in connection with Garg’s death, keeping the case under intense scrutiny on both legal and public fronts.