Guwahati, September 23: Indian singer and composer Zubeen Garg, best known for his hit track “Ya Ali” from the 2006 Bollywood film Gangster, died while scuba diving in Singapore on Friday, authorities said. He was 52.
Singapore authorities issued a death certificate stating the cause of death as drowning, though a final post-mortem report is still awaited, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. “We will send the documents to the CID,” Sarma told reporters, adding that state officials are coordinating with the Singapore ambassador.
Garg’s body was brought back to Assam on Sunday and kept at Bhogeswar Baruah Stadium, where thousands of fans gathered to pay their respects. The state government extended the mourning period and announced a state funeral to be held at Kamarkuchi village on Sept. 23.
Event organisers said Garg developed breathing difficulties while diving, received CPR, and was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where he was declared dead. Sarma said preliminary findings suggested the singer was swimming without a life jacket despite warnings from lifeguards. Media reports that Garg had attended a party the night before would also be investigated, he added.
An FIR has been lodged in Assam against festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Garg’s long-time manager Siddhartha Sharma, alleging conspiracy and negligence. Police will interrogate all those present during his final hours, the chief minister said.
Garg’s wife, Garima Saikia Garg, appealed for calm, urging fans not to vilify Sharma. “Zubeen never said an unkind word to Siddhartha and would not tolerate any negativity against him,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
Known as the “heartthrob of Assam,” Garg recorded music in Assamese, Bengali and Hindi over a three-decade career. His Bollywood breakthrough, “Ya Ali,” became one of the most popular songs of the mid-2000s.
