Zubeen Garg death: Singer was very drunk; declined life jacket, says Singapore Police
Garg died on September 19, 2025, while attending a private yacht gathering, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore.
- Jan 15, 2026,
- Updated Jan 15, 2026 9:45 AM IST
Singapore Police recently told a coroner’s court that Indian singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg was heavily intoxicated when he drowned off Lazarus Island last September. Police ruled out foul play, noting that Garg declined to wear a life jacket despite being inebriated.
Garg died on September 19, 2025, while attending a private yacht gathering, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore.
The chief investigating officer told the court that Garg was among more than 20 people, including friends and colleagues, on board the yacht, where alcohol was consumed. He said Garg initially entered the water wearing a life jacket but later removed it.
When Garg decided to swim again, he was offered a second, smaller life jacket, which he refused. “He entered the water without a life jacket and started swimming alone in the direction of Lazarus Island,” the officer told the court, as quoted by Channel News Asia.
Eyewitnesses told investigators they saw Garg attempt to swim back to the yacht before going limp and floating face down in the water. He was pulled back onto the yacht, where CPR was administered.
Garg was pronounced dead later that day. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drowning, with injuries found on his body attributed to rescue and CPR efforts, leading police to conclude there was no foul play.
Toxicology tests showed Garg had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 mg per 100 millilitres of blood, far above Singapore’s legal limit of 80 mg per 100 millilitres.
A 750 ml bottle of Scotch whisky with 43 per cent alcohol content, which was around 25 per cent full, was seized from Garg’s hotel room.
Multiple witnesses told the court that Garg had been drinking on the yacht. One witness said he consumed several cups of alcohol, including gin and whisky, and also took sips of Guinness Stout.
According to the investigating officer, Garg returned to the yacht after his first swim and was heard saying he was tired before deciding to enter the water again.
The court was informed that Garg had a history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last reported epileptic episode occurring in 2024. Medication for both conditions was found in his blood. However, investigators said it could not be determined whether he had taken his epilepsy medication on the day of the incident, as eyewitness accounts were inconclusive.
A forensic pathologist testified that there were no physical signs, such as a bitten tongue, to indicate that Garg had suffered a seizure.
The captain of the yacht Crazy Monkey told the court that Garg needed support from two friends while boarding because he was unable to walk properly. He also said some passengers had started drinking even before boarding and that he conducted two safety briefings.
“When I saw him entering the water without a life jacket the second time, I told his friend that he was drunk, and if he wants to get into the water, he needs to wear a life jacket,” the captain said in his statement.
The captain added that he swam towards Garg after noticing him face-down in the water.
Police said witness statements suggested that Garg had entered the water voluntarily and showed no signs of suicidal intent. In total, 35 witnesses — including passengers on the yacht, the captain, police officers and paramedics — are expected to testify at the enquiry.
Before the proceedings began, Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur, read out a prepared statement expressing concerns over the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said some of the issues raised were not directly relevant to the events leading to Garg’s death, Channel News Asia reported.
Singapore Police recently told a coroner’s court that Indian singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg was heavily intoxicated when he drowned off Lazarus Island last September. Police ruled out foul play, noting that Garg declined to wear a life jacket despite being inebriated.
Garg died on September 19, 2025, while attending a private yacht gathering, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore.
The chief investigating officer told the court that Garg was among more than 20 people, including friends and colleagues, on board the yacht, where alcohol was consumed. He said Garg initially entered the water wearing a life jacket but later removed it.
When Garg decided to swim again, he was offered a second, smaller life jacket, which he refused. “He entered the water without a life jacket and started swimming alone in the direction of Lazarus Island,” the officer told the court, as quoted by Channel News Asia.
Eyewitnesses told investigators they saw Garg attempt to swim back to the yacht before going limp and floating face down in the water. He was pulled back onto the yacht, where CPR was administered.
Garg was pronounced dead later that day. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drowning, with injuries found on his body attributed to rescue and CPR efforts, leading police to conclude there was no foul play.
Toxicology tests showed Garg had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 mg per 100 millilitres of blood, far above Singapore’s legal limit of 80 mg per 100 millilitres.
A 750 ml bottle of Scotch whisky with 43 per cent alcohol content, which was around 25 per cent full, was seized from Garg’s hotel room.
Multiple witnesses told the court that Garg had been drinking on the yacht. One witness said he consumed several cups of alcohol, including gin and whisky, and also took sips of Guinness Stout.
According to the investigating officer, Garg returned to the yacht after his first swim and was heard saying he was tired before deciding to enter the water again.
The court was informed that Garg had a history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last reported epileptic episode occurring in 2024. Medication for both conditions was found in his blood. However, investigators said it could not be determined whether he had taken his epilepsy medication on the day of the incident, as eyewitness accounts were inconclusive.
A forensic pathologist testified that there were no physical signs, such as a bitten tongue, to indicate that Garg had suffered a seizure.
The captain of the yacht Crazy Monkey told the court that Garg needed support from two friends while boarding because he was unable to walk properly. He also said some passengers had started drinking even before boarding and that he conducted two safety briefings.
“When I saw him entering the water without a life jacket the second time, I told his friend that he was drunk, and if he wants to get into the water, he needs to wear a life jacket,” the captain said in his statement.
The captain added that he swam towards Garg after noticing him face-down in the water.
Police said witness statements suggested that Garg had entered the water voluntarily and showed no signs of suicidal intent. In total, 35 witnesses — including passengers on the yacht, the captain, police officers and paramedics — are expected to testify at the enquiry.
Before the proceedings began, Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur, read out a prepared statement expressing concerns over the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said some of the issues raised were not directly relevant to the events leading to Garg’s death, Channel News Asia reported.