As Assam readies for the forthcoming Legislative Assembly election, scheduled for April 9, 2026, the family and sympathisers of cultural icon Zubeen Garg have urged political parties not to use his name in electoral politics.
Many opposition leaders have tried to gain political advantage from the sudden demise of Zubeen in Singapore on 19 September 2025 and the subsequent probe to determine how the heartthrob of millions died in the island nation while on a yacht outing in sea waters.
While a Singapore court recently ruled out any foul play in Zubeen’s accidental death, authorities in Assam in northeast India had framed charges against seven individuals for ‘murdering’ the singer following a well-planned conspiracy, for which the trial has already begun.
Responding to huge public demand, the government facilitated a fast-track court to conduct the trial on a daily basis. Set up by the Gauhati High Court recently, the fast-track sessions court in Kamrup Metropolitan district started trial proceedings from 30 March.
The coroner’s court in Singapore, on 25 March, ruled that the 53-year-old singer died due to accidental drowning, creating a fresh political storm over the outcome.
Delivering the final findings, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda observed that there was no reason to disagree with the Police Coast Guard’s conclusion after examining all evidence.
According to the city-state’s mainstream daily The Straits Times, a death certificate had already been issued by Singapore General Hospitallisting the cause of death as drowning.
Testimony revealed that, despite efforts by friends to persuade the already intoxicated singer, Zubeen went for a second swim without a life jacket and appeared visibly exhausted, the newspaper reported, adding that he refused to wear a life vest before entering the water.
The Singapore court concluded that he likely lost consciousness in the water, leading to drowning. The coroner also noted that there was no evidence of foul play, no delay in rescue efforts, and no indication that anyone held Zubeen underwater.
The incident occurred during a yacht trip that departed from Keppel Bay Marina, where witnesses, including the vessel’s captain, testified that the singer appeared unsteady even before boarding and required assistance moving around.
The captain’s assistant told the court in January that no one had forced him to consume alcohol or enter the water. Zubeen likely lost consciousness and his face became submerged in the water.
Swimmers in the sea assisted him to the best of their abilities, and there was no evidence to suggest his face had been deliberately held underwater, the coroner asserted.
Meanwhile, opposition parties questioned the claim of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had stated in the Assembly during November that Zubeen was murdered under a planned conspiracy.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief Gaurav Gogoi drew attention to the contradiction between the Singapore court’s final findings and the Assam government’s accusation of murder.
Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and currently a Congress nominee for the Assembly polls, termed the Singapore verdict a gift to the accused individuals, who are in judicial custody.
Other opposition leaders also demanded clarity and accountability from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Dispur.
They questioned the integrity of the investigation carried out by a special team of Assam Police personnel into Zubeen’s death, where murder charges were brought against Shyamkanu Mahanta (chief organiser of the 4th North East India Festival in Singapore, where Zubeen was scheduled to perform on 20 September), the singer’s manager Siddharth Sharma, and two co-artistes, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta.
Three others arrested and remaining behind bars include Zubeen’s cousin (and a suspended police officer), Sandipan Garg, along with two security officers, Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya.
Responding to the criticism, Sarma said the Singapore conclusion only strengthened the case registered in Assam.
Highlighting that the Assam investigation was independent of Singapore’s, Sarma pointed out that both investigations revealed that Zubeen had consumed alcohol beyond the permissible limit (up to 333 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, suggesting severe intoxication).
The additional aspect in the Assam probe was that Zubeen was allegedly made to consume alcohol by Amritprabha on the previous night as part of the conspiracy. Sarma, a BJP nominee for the election, argued that the Singapore ruling would make the case in Assam more effective, which is now being heard in a local court.
Born as Jiban Borthakur in Tura of Meghalaya in 1972, Zubeen grew up in different parts of Assam, as his father, Mohini Mohan Borthakur, served as a magistrate. He adopted his name as a mark of respect to the legendary orchestral conductor and music director Zubin Mehta.
Zubeen made his musical debut with Anamika in the early Nineties and soon emerged as a mesmerising performer on stage, with songs rooted in folk-based content and rhythms. The prince of melody gained instant national fame with his resounding voice in the song “Ya Ali” from the film Gangster.
A versatile genius, Zubeen sang thousands of songs in multiple languages and produced and acted in a few Assamese films. After Bhupen Hazarika, the ultimate artistic identity of the Assamese community, Zubeen became synonymous with the cultural stages of the spring festival Rongali Bihu across the Brahmaputra valley of Assam.
As his untimely demise continues to distress young people, reflected across social media, the upcoming Bihu festival (beginning on 14 April) will haunt the Assamese once again, as the hugely popular Bihu functions will be devoid of Zubeen and his melody.
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