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Zubeen Garg was heavily intoxicated, declined life jacket: Singapore Police tells court
The popular Indian singer was in Singapore in September last year for the North East India Festival; he drowned off the waters near Lazarus Island
- PUBLISHED: Wed 14 Jan 2026, 6:57 PM
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- ANI
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Popular Indian singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore in September last year, was "severely intoxicated" and had drowned in the waters off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket, a coroner's court was told on Wednesday, according to Channel NewsAsia.
Garg, 52, was with a yacht party on September 19, 2025, and initially wore a life jacket but removed it and later declined to put on a second one offered to him, the chief investigating officer told the court.
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At the time of the incident, he was "heavily intoxicated", and several witnesses saw him attempting to swim back to the yacht before he went limp and began floating face-down in the water, the report said.
He was quickly pulled back onto the yacht, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation was administered, but he was pronounced dead later the same day.
The chief investigating officer told the court that Garg was in Singapore for the North East India Festival in September 2025.
On September 19, 2025, he left his hotel and boarded a yacht at the Marina at Keppel Bay. There were about 20 people on the yacht, which included Garg's friends and colleagues, the report said.
According to the chief investigating officer, the party had some snacks and drinks on the boat. Several witnesses said they saw Garg drinking.
The group dropped anchor between Lazarus Island and St John's Island.
A kayak was prepared for use and Garg donned a life jacket, which was later described by a witness as too big for him and he jumped into the sea to swim along with a few others.
During this first swim, he removed his life jacket and later went back on the yacht and was heard saying that he was tired. When he decided to resume swimming, Mr Garg was offered a second, smaller life jacket, but he declined to wear it, according to the report.
He entered the water without a life jacket and started swimming in the direction of Lazarus Island alone, the official told the court.
Members of the group on the yacht shouted at others to bring him back, as he was not wearing the safety equipment. The report, citing the official, said Garg turned back when others shouted at him to return, but while he was swimming back to the yacht, he suddenly became motionless and floated face down in the water.
He was quickly rescued and taken back to the yacht, where CPR was administered. Within two minutes of receiving a distress call, the Police Coast Guard dispatched a patrol craft, which arrived within nine minutes of receipt of the call, according to Channel NewsAsia.
According to the official, the police officers took over CPR and noted Garg did not have a pulse and wasn't breathing.
The yacht was guided to Marina South Pier, about three nautical miles or 6 km away, and Garg was taken by ambulance to Singapore General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 5.15pm, the report said, adding that autopsy performed determined the cause of death to be drowning.
Some injuries were found on his body but they were found to have been sustained during CPR and rescue efforts, the Channel NewsAsia report said.
Medications for his hypertension and epilepsy were found in his blood, with no other substances detected, it added.
The investigating officer said Garg was swimming in the sea off St John's Island without a life jacket despite repeated reminders from the captain to don one, and efforts made by other witnesses to ensure he wore one.
