Zubeen Garg was "Severely intoxicated", declined a life jacket before drowning, Singapore coroner’s court told

A Singapore coroner’s court has heard that Indian singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg had been drinking heavily and entered the sea without a life jacket before drowning off Lazarus Island last September.

Garg, 52, was part of a private yacht outing on September 19, 2025, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore. He was later declared dead, with an autopsy establishing drowning as the cause.

According to testimony presented at the opening of the inquiry, Garg had worn a life jacket during an earlier swim but removed it on returning to the yacht. When he decided to swim again, he declined a second life jacket that was offered to him and entered the water alone, heading towards Lazarus Island, Channel News Asia reported.

The court was told that Garg was severely intoxicated at the time. Witnesses said they saw him struggling in the water before going limp and floating face down. He was pulled back onto the yacht, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed, but he was pronounced dead later that day.

Investigators told the court that Garg had a history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last recorded epileptic episode in 2024. However, there was no conclusive evidence to show whether he had taken his epilepsy medication on the day of the incident.

Singapore police have said they do not suspect any foul play in the case.

The inquiry is expected to hear from 35 witnesses, including passengers on the yacht, the vessel’s captain, police officers and paramedics.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Garg and more than 20 others on board, including friends and colleagues, consumed food and alcohol during the outing. 

Several witnesses said they saw Garg drinking liquor, including gin and whisky, along with beer.

Investigators said that after his first swim, Garg returned to the yacht and said he was tired. He later entered the water again without a life jacket.

Post-mortem findings showed no fatal injuries apart from drowning. Injuries found on Garg’s body were attributed to rescue attempts and CPR. Toxicology analysis found a blood alcohol concentration of 333 milligrams per 100ml of blood — more than four times Singapore’s legal driving limit of 80 milligrams per 100ml.

Medication for hypertension and epilepsy was detected in his system, with no other drugs found. Police also recovered a partially filled bottle of Scotch whisky from Garg’s hotel room.

The forensic pathologist told the court it was not possible to determine whether Garg had suffered a seizure, citing the absence of indicators such as tongue injuries.

The yacht’s captain testified that Garg appeared unsteady while boarding and was supported by friends. He said passengers had begun drinking even before boarding and that he had conducted two safety briefings. When he saw Garg re-enter the water without a life jacket, he warned Garg’s friends that he should not swim in his condition.

The captain said he later saw Garg floating face down and swam towards him. When he turned Garg over, foam was coming from his mouth and nose, he told the court.

Before proceedings began, Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur, raised concerns about the circumstances of the singer’s death. State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said some of the issues raised were not relevant to the determination of the cause of death.

Separately, in India, a Special Investigation Team investigating the case has filed charges against festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma, and band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprava Mahanta. Garg’s cousin, Sandipan Garg, has also been charged.

Two personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya, have been charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.