Shekhar Goswami Shares Details of Zubeen Garg’s Tragic Death in Singapore

As Assam reels from the sudden loss of iconic singer Zubeen Garg, his close associate and fellow musician Shekhar Goswami has provided a detailed account of the events leading to the tragedy during a trip to Singapore for the Northeast Festival.

Goswami, who was with Garg for a scheduled performance on Friday, was present when the fatal incident occurred during a water activity overseen by the yacht crew. According to Goswami, Garg initially wore a life jacket but removed it, finding it too loose. Shortly after, he was found floating face down in the water. After being submerged for roughly a minute, Garg was pulled out, vomiting and with his body visibly blue.

He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit at Singapore General Hospital, accompanied only by his manager, Siddharth Sarma. Sanjeev Narayan arrived at the hospital soon after news of the incident spread. Despite medical efforts, Garg could not be revived.

The Singapore police have launched a thorough investigation, questioning the team until 4 a.m. and inspecting Garg’s hotel room. Goswami alleged that Garg was overworked, stating, “Siddharth pushed him into too many performances. Even in Singapore, I urged Siddharth to limit the crowd, as Zubeen was visibly exhausted.” He also noted that Garg’s phone was in Sarma’s possession throughout the trip and that, according to Amritprava, Garg had not taken his medication before the sea outing.

Addressing accusations against him, Goswami said, “Some have blamed me for his death, but I did nothing wrong. The management handled everything—food, clothing, and arrangements. I was only there to accompany him. We went to the sea for leisure, never expecting this tragedy.” He added that he chose a chocolate brown coffin for Garg, honouring the singer’s favourite colour, and emphasised, “I’m here because of Zubeen, not anyone else.”

Goswami recounted that upon arriving in Delhi, authorities, including Assam’s Chief Minister, informed them they were in custody and required to return to Assam. Sarma advised Goswami to stay in Delhi or Shillong instead, but Goswami insisted, “I’ve done nothing wrong—why shouldn’t I go to Assam?” He pledged full cooperation with the ongoing police investigation to ensure clarity and justice.