Himanta, Gaurav spar over Zubeen Garg death as Singapore coroner rules out foul play

Guwahati, Jan 16: A sharp political confrontation has broken out in Assam over the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg, after findings from a Singapore coroner’s inquiry ruled out foul play, directly contradicting repeated assertions by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that the singer was murdered.

Reacting strongly to Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi questioning the Assam government’s stand, Sarma on Friday said the arrest and detention of suspects linked to the case was a matter of pride for the State.

“This is good news. Singapore could not apprehend Siddhartha Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta, but Assam did. Instead of criticism, we should be thanked. Assam Police has done a better job than Singapore. I do not know what they are thinking,” Sarma said, defending the State government’s actions.

Gaurav Gogoi, earlier, mounted a scathing attack on the Chief Minister, highlighting the stark contradiction between the Assam government’s claims and the findings of the Singapore authorities.

“The coroner appointed by the Singapore government, after studying all findings related to Zubeen Garg’s death, concluded that there was no foul play. Now the question before the people of Assam is whom should they believe? The Singapore government or Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma?” Gogoi said.

He further pointed out that Sarma had repeatedly stated, both publicly and on the floor of the Assam Legislative Assembly, that Garg was murdered.

“Why are the statements of the two governments not matching? If the Assam government is calling it a murder, why is the Singapore government ruling out foul play? Which government is failing in its duty and presenting a false picture, is it the Singapore government or the Assam government?” Gogoi asked.

The political slugfest comes in the wake of revelations made during the ongoing coroner’s inquiry in Singapore into Garg’s death.

According to details that emerged from the hearing, the 53-year-old singer was severely intoxicated and was not wearing a life jacket when he drowned off Lazarus Island in September 2025.

Testifying before the Coroner’s Court, Assistant Superintendent of Police David Lim of the Police Coast Guard said Garg had consumed alcohol and had repeatedly refused to wear a life vest before jumping into the water from a yacht.

Lim was the first witness to depose before the court when the inquiry began on January 14.

Multiple Singapore-based media outlets, including The Straits Times and Channel News Asia, reported that the coroner’s proceedings found no evidence of criminal involvement, reinforcing the conclusion of accidental drowning.

Amid the political sparring, Garg’s wife Garima Saikia Garg urged the Governments of India and Assam to closely monitor proceedings in both India and Singapore and ensure that all relevant facts are fully placed before the courts.

She said the family seeks a complete and transparent examination of the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death and justice strictly through lawful means.

Explaining the family’s conduct through a social media post, she said they were initially too traumatised to take immediate legal steps after Garg’s sudden death in Singapore on September 19, 2025, and moved formally only after yacht videos surfaced on social media, raising serious questions.

She underlined that Singapore authorities had initiated an inquiry suo motu, with the Indian High Commission coordinating legal and medical procedures, and that the family fully cooperated with investigators in both countries while deliberately refraining from public statements to preserve the integrity of the probe.

She added that the Assam government later constituted a Special Investigation Team, which carried out an extensive inquiry, travelled to Singapore and filed a charge sheet invoking murder charges. The family also placed detailed concerns before the Singapore Coroner’s Court on January 14, including issues related to safety measures, medical response and the circumstances in which Garg entered the sea.

Zubeen Garg’s death had triggered widespread grief and speculation in Assam, with the State government earlier insisting on foul play and initiating its own probe.