Popular Indian singer-songwriter Zubeen Garg was “severely intoxicated” and had declined to wear a life jacket before drowning off Lazarus Island in Singapore last September, a coroner’s court was told on Wednesday.
The 52-year-old singer was part of a yacht gathering on September 19, 2025, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival in Singapore.
He was pronounced dead later the same day after being pulled unconscious from the water.
Opening the inquiry, the chief investigating officer said Garg had initially worn a life jacket during a swim but removed it before returning to the yacht, complaining of fatigue.
When he later decided to swim again, he was offered a smaller life jacket but declined and entered the water without one, heading alone towards Lazarus Island.
Witnesses told the court that Garg was severely intoxicated at the time.
Several people saw him attempting to swim back to the yacht before he went limp and began floating face down in the water.
He was quickly brought back on board, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation was administered, but he could not be revived.
The court was told that Garg had consumed alcohol on the yacht along with around 20 others.
Witnesses said he drank multiple types of alcohol, including liquor, gin, whisky and Guinness stout.
A toxicology report found his blood alcohol concentration to be 333 milligrams per 100 ml of blood, indicating severe intoxication and impaired coordination.
The legal limit in Singapore is 80 milligrams per 100 ml. Police also recovered a partially filled 750 ml bottle of Scotch whisky from his hotel room.
Garg had a medical history of hypertension and epilepsy, with his last reported seizure occurring in 2024.
Although medication for both conditions was found in his blood, investigators said it could not be established whether he had taken his epilepsy medication on the day of the incident.
The forensic pathologist testified that there were no physical signs, such as a bitten tongue, to confirm whether a seizure had occurred.
An autopsy concluded that the cause of death was drowning. Minor injuries found on Garg’s body were attributed to rescue and CPR efforts.
Singapore police said there was no suspicion of foul play, and witness statements indicated that Garg had voluntarily entered the water and had not been pushed.
The court was also told that he had shown no suicidal tendencies.
The captain of the yacht, named Crazy Monkey, testified that Garg appeared unable to walk properly while boarding and had to be supported by two friends.
He said alcohol consumption had begun even before the yacht departed and that he had delivered two safety briefings.
The captain added that he warned Garg’s friends against allowing him to swim without a life jacket, given his condition.
Describing the rescue, the captain said he noticed Garg floating face down and immediately alerted others before swimming to him.
He told the court that foam was coming from the singer’s mouth and nose when he turned his head out of the water.
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Before the inquiry began, Garg’s uncle, Manoj Kumar Borthakur, read out a statement raising concerns over the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda noted that some of the issues raised were not directly relevant to the determination of the cause of death.
The Singapore inquiry is expected to hear testimony from 35 witnesses, including passengers, the boat captain, police officers and paramedics.
Meanwhile, in India, a Special Investigation Team has filed charges against festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma and two of his band members for murder, while his cousin has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Two personal security officers have also been charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
