- Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 last year from accidental drowning
- Assam Police arrested seven accused, charging them with murder and related offences
- Singapore investigation found no foul play and cited severe intoxication as cause
It's exactly one years that Assam lost its biggest musical sensation, Zubeen Garg, in a seaside accident in Singapore, where he went to perform at the Northeast Festival.
A year after the death of Assam's most celebrated singer and cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, his music continues to resonate across the state, while in a fast-track court in Guwahati, a murder case involving seven accused is in the trial phase.
Garg died in Singapore on September 19 last year after becoming unresponsive during a second swim near Lazarus Island of Singapore. Despite immediate rescue efforts and CPR, he was pronounced dead at Singapore General Hospital.
As the news broke, Assam broke into grief; the entire state was still, shut down for a week.
His death triggered an unprecedented wave of grief in Assam. More than 1.5 million people are estimated to have joined his final journey when his body was brought to Kamarkuchi in Sonapur, near Guwahati, on September 21 last year.
His cremation witnessed a record turnout that not only stunned the entire nation but the entire world took note of.
Singapore authorities concluded that Garg died of accidental drowning and found no evidence of foul play, while Assam Police is prosecuting the case as an alleged murder.
However, both investigations established that Garg had joined a private yacht outing near Singapore's Lazarus Island a day before he was scheduled to attend the North East India Festival.
Fans and members of the public questioning the circumstances of his death, Assam saw filing of more than 60 First Information Reports were subsequently lodged across Assam.
The Assam government constituted a Special Investigation Team to examine the complaints. Within weeks, the investigation shifted towards a murder theory.
Between October 1 and 10, Assam Police arrested seven people in connection with the case, including Singapore festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg's manager Siddhartha Sharma, musicians Amritprabha Mahanta and Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, his cousin Sandipan Garg and two of his personal security officers.
The accused faced charges including murder, culpable homicide, criminal conspiracy and financial offences.
The SIT later filed a 2,500-page chargesheet, with the total case documents running into more than 12,000 pages.
In the subsequent court proceedings, four of the accused were charged with murder, Sandipan Garg with culpable homicide, while the two personal security officers faced charges including criminal conspiracy. All seven have pleaded not guilty.
In the Singapore investigation, the Singapore Police Force concluded that there was no foul play and said Garg had drowned after removing his life jacket. Toxicology testing found a blood alcohol concentration of 333 mg per 100 ml, which Singapore authorities said was consistent with severe intoxication and impaired coordination.
In March 2026, a Singapore court ruled Garg's death an accidental drowning, finding no evidence of foul play, coercion or poisoning.
However, the legal battle continues in Assam.
The Gauhati High Court constituted an exclusive fast-track sessions court for the trial. In May, charges were formally framed against all seven accused, who pleaded not guilty.
A separate judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia has also begun an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Garg's death.
With more than 100 witnesses already examined, the trial remains underway.
For Garg's family and his fans, the legal proceedings have become a prolonged search for answers.
In early this year's Assam polls, the opposition tried to turn the demand for justice for Zubeen Garg into a poll plank; however, the BJP came back to power with a thumping majority.