Celebrated Bollywood and Assamese singer Zubeen Garg passed away in Singapore at the age of 52, leaving fans across India and beyond in deep shock. The artiste was in the island nation to perform at the North East India Festival, scheduled for September 20 and 21.
Initial reports suggested Garg had died while scuba diving, but Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma later clarified that the singer drowned while swimming without a life jacket.
Conflicting Reports on Circumstances of Death
A representative of the North East India Festival, who was quoted by NDTV, said, “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Zubeen Garg’s passing.”
Anuj Kumar Boruah said, “While scuba diving, he experienced breathing difficulties and was immediately given CPR before being rushed to Singapore General Hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he was declared deceased in the ICU around 2.30 pm IST.”
However, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, “Zubeen died while swimming without a life jacket,” adding that Singapore authorities will question those who had accompanied the singer.
He further explained that a video shows Garg jumping into the sea from a yacht wearing a life jacket. “After the 1.26 mark in the video, Zubeen Garg can be seen returning to the yacht. According to reports, he jumped into the sea for the second time, but after taking off the life jacket, saying it was uncomfortable swimming with the life jacket on,” the Chief Minister said. Moments later, Garg was found floating unresponsive and was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead around 2:30 pm IST. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.
Festival Organisers Express Shock, Cancel Event
In a statement, the organisers of the North East India Festival said they had no knowledge of Garg’s yacht visit.
“With profound grief, we share the heartbreaking news that our beloved icon, Zubeen Garg, passed away today at Singapore General Hospital around 2:30 PM. Zubeen had arrived in Singapore just the day before yesterday. He was scheduled to be with us at the festival tomorrow, meeting and interacting with people,” the organisers said.
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They added, “Earlier today, our entire team was engaged in a business meeting with senior Singaporean industrialists and policymakers at the Shangri-La Hotel to facilitate investments in Northeast India. During the meeting, we received a call from Zubeen’s manager informing us that he had met with an accident and had been rushed to Singapore General Hospital. We later learned that a few members of the local Assamese community had taken him on a yacht visit, of which we had no prior knowledge.”
Concluding their statement, festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta said, “On receiving the news, our team rushed immediately to the hospital and has since been working closely with the High Commission to complete the necessary procedures. This is a monumental loss, and words cannot express the depth of our grief. In light of this tragedy, we are cancelling the event. We are devastated and pray for the departed soul of Zubeen Garg. Om Shanti.”
Remembering Zubeen Garg
Zubeen Garg was one of Assam’s most beloved cultural icons and a celebrated voice in Bollywood. He achieved national fame with the hit track Ya Ali from the film Gangster and went on to sing several popular songs including Dil Tu Hi Bataa from Krrish 3.
Apart from playback singing, Garg worked extensively in Assamese cinema as a singer, actor, and director, with notable works such as Kanchanjunga, Mission China, Dinabandhu and Mon Jai.
In 2022, he had suffered a minor head injury after falling unconscious at a resort in Dibrugarh and was later treated in Guwahati.
Zubeen Garg’s sudden death has left an irreplaceable void in India’s cultural and musical landscape.
