Singapore Initiates Coroner’s Inquiry into Zubeen Garg’s Death

A coroner’s inquiry has been initiated in Singapore into the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg, who died on September 19 during a yacht outing while serving as a cultural brand ambassador for the North East India Festival, Singapore. Garg reportedly lost consciousness while swimming and was declared dead at Singapore General Hospital, with drowning cited as the cause on his death certificate. Dr. Shijia Chan, the issuing forensic pathologist, confirmed to The Indian Express that the case has been classified as a coroner’s case and is under police investigation.

A coroner’s inquiry in Singapore is primarily a fact-finding exercise, not intended to assign blame, and seeks to determine the identity of the deceased, as well as how, when, and where the death occurred. Governed by the Coroners Act, such inquiries are required in cases of deaths caused or suspected to be caused by unlawful acts or omissions, deaths under suspicious circumstances, or deaths where the cause is unknown. The coroner, a judicial officer, is supported by police investigations, and inquiries can be held for deaths occurring in Singapore, on Singapore-registered vessels or aircraft, or when the body is discovered in Singapore. The coroner also considers whether similar investigations are being conducted abroad and may take into account the wishes of the deceased’s immediate family. Public Prosecutors may also direct a coroner to conduct an inquiry. While a coroner cannot frame findings to assign criminal, civil, or disciplinary liability, their recommendations are not restricted by the likelihood of liability being inferred.

Meanwhile, a parallel criminal investigation in Assam has been launched under charges of murder, criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and causing death by negligence. This investigation has resulted in the arrest of seven people so far. On a recent Friday, two of Zubeen Garg’s personal security officers (PSOs), Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, were arrested and remanded in five-day police custody. The PSOs had been assigned to Garg after the Assam government provided him security in 2013 following threats from the insurgent group ULFA, which objected to his performance of Hindi songs during Bihu celebrations.

The SIT probing Garg’s death discovered alleged irregular financial transactions in the PSOs’ bank accounts, significantly exceeding their known salary incomes, with Rs 70 lakh in one account and Rs 40 lakh in another. Zubeen Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, stated that she was aware of him giving money to the PSOs for philanthropic purposes but was unaware of the specific financial transactions under investigation. The SIT head, M.P. Gupta, confirmed that the two PSOs had not accompanied Garg on his trip to Singapore, highlighting that the investigation is ongoing and under close scrutiny.

Overall, the Singapore coroner’s inquiry focuses on establishing factual details surrounding Garg’s death, while in Assam, criminal proceedings address potential misconduct, conspiracy, and financial irregularities linked to his personal security team. Both processes aim to ensure accountability and clarity regarding the circumstances of the singer’s untimely death, addressing public speculation and legal obligations under local and international law.