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A Singapore state coroner has officially ruled that Zubeen Garg died of accidental drowning. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, March 25, when State
Coroner Adam Nakhoda upheld the Singapore Police Coast Guard's earlier finding that there was no foul play involved in Garg's death. The coroner directly addressed concerns raised by Garg's widow, who had questioned the PCG's conclusion. Nakhoda confirmed that the PCG had conducted a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the matter before arriving at its finding.
What Did Singapore Coroner Say About Zubeen Garg's Death?
Coroner Nakhoda concluded that Garg's death was simply the result of an unfortunate and tragic accidental drowning. He found no evidence that anyone had forced, coerced, or pushed the singer into the water.
The coroner also addressed concerns about the rescue attempt. He found no evidence whatsoever that the swimmers who attempted to rescue Garg had deliberately held his face underwater, as reported by Channel News Asia.
Garg, 52, had been intoxicated, and this likely impaired his judgment in his decisions, said Nakhoda.
This included the removal of his life jacket during his first swim and his 'steadfast' refusal to wear it on his second swim despite being told to don the equipment by the yacht captain and other passengers.
Zubeen Garg Passed Away In September 2025
Garg drowned in the waters off Lazarus Island on September 19, 2025, a day before he was slated to perform at the North East India Festival.
The singer was in Singapore for a festival organised to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and India. The festival was cancelled on learning of the singer's death.
Garg was invited to perform at the festival as one of the most popular singers in the state of Assam and likely in North East India, the court heard.
The coroner found that Garg had agreed to the yacht trip and that there was no evidence that he was coerced into it.
A group of about 20 dropped anchor on a yacht they were on between Lazarus Island and St John's Island and took part in activities such as drinking alcohol, swimming, and kayaking.
Witnesses saw Garg drinking alcohol, with one saying he had consumed a few cups of liquor, gin, and whisky, along with a few sips of Guinness Stout, according to the Channel report.
Garg went for the first swim with a life jacket on, but later removed it and refused another jacket when he went on a second swim towards Lazarus Island.
Members of the group on the yacht shouted for him to be brought back as he was not wearing a life jacket, and Garg turned and was swimming back to the vessel when he went limp in the water.
He was rescued back to the yacht and later taken to the hospital, where he died. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drowning.
Coroner Nakhoda found that Garg had been consuming alcohol in the days prior to and on the day of his death.
A toxicology analysis found that Garg had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, which suggests severe intoxication resulting in impaired coordination and reflexes, the court had previously heard.
For comparison, the legal limit in Singapore is 80 milligrams per 100ml of blood. A high concentration of ethanol was also found in Garg's urine samples.
Garg has a medical history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last known epileptic episode in 2024, the court heard.
While the coroner accepted that it was possible that Garg had suffered an epileptic fit prior to his drowning, the evidence was inconclusive to make a definitive finding on this, said the Channel report.
The court also found there was "nothing untoward" or "sinister" about the invitation extended to Garg to perform at the festival.
(With inputs from PTI)
