NEW DELHI: Zubeen Garg was “severely intoxicated” and drowned off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket, a Singapore court was told on Wednesday. The Singapore police reiterated that it does not suspect any foul play in the death.“At the time, he was also severely intoxicated and several witnesses saw him trying to swim back to the yacht when he went limp and began floating with his face in the water,” Channel News Asia reported citing the investigating officer.The court was further told that Garg had a history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his most recent recorded epileptic episode occurring in 2024. However, it remained uncertain whether he had taken his prescribed epilepsy medication on the day of the incident, as eyewitness accounts are insufficient to confirm that he had done so.
What Singapore cops uncovered
Police told the court that their investigation revealed Garg and around 20 others on board the yacht, including friends and colleagues, had consumed snacks, drinks and alcohol during the outing. Multiple witnesses stated that Garg was seen drinking alcohol, with one account claiming he consumed several cups of liquor, including gin and whisky. According to the chief investigating officer’s reconstruction of events, Garg later went for a swim during which he removed his life jacket. He subsequently returned to the yacht and was heard telling others that he was feeling tired, the officer informed the court.“When he decided to resume swimming, Garg was offered a second, smaller life jacket, but he declined to wear it. He entered the water without a life jacket and started swimming in the direction of Lazarus Island alone,” the Channel cited chief investigating officer saying.The officer told the court that post-mortem examination confirmed drowning as the cause of Garg’s death, and while some injuries were found on the body, they were determined to have occurred during CPR and rescue attempts. The officer added that medical tests detected Garg’s prescribed medication for hypertension and epilepsy in his blood, with no traces of any other drugs.Moreover, they said that a toxicology report showed Garg had a blood alcohol concentration of 333 milligrams per 100 ml of blood, indicating severe intoxication that would have significantly impaired coordination and reflexes. “The evidence of several witnesses, provided via their statements to the court, stated that Mr Garg had no suicidal tendencies and that he was not pushed into the water but had jumped in himself for a swim,” the news website report said, quoting the court hearing.However, as per the probe conducted by the SIT and the Assam Police’s CID, those named as accused include the principal event organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Zubeen Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, suspended APS officer Sandipan Garg, and two personal security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya.The CJI court in Guwahati remanded five accused — Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma, Sandipan Garg, Nandeswar Bora, and Paresh Baishya — to judicial custody in connection with the Garg death case.Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma assured justice saying: “Another step forward towards justice for our beloved Zubeen. The Singapore Police authorities will meet the Assam Police team led by Sri Munna Gupta, ADGP and Head of SIT, on 21st October. Our collective resolve remains, Justice for Zubeen will prevail.”Garg died in Singapore on September 19, reportedly after an incident while swimming, just a day before he was slated to perform at the Northeast India Festival.