Zubeen’s Demise in Singapore, Conflicting Media Reports, Repercussion, Etc

If one wants to experience conflicting media reports following a cult-like personality’s demise under a mysterious situation on foreign soil, come to Assam, as the media persons here have attained a rare expertise to narrate stories regarding an incident according to their wishes (some say wisdom !). With no quote or sound bite from the location, the Guwahati-based television anchors have already earned a rare capacity to kill time with unorganized narrations that usually confuse the audience. Such an unfortunate incident took place recently, when heartbreaking news surfaced from Singapore that shocked the entire population of northeast India with the sudden demise of maverick singer Zubeen Garg. Multiple electronic media outlets presented conflicting reports about the incident that made the viewers more puzzled how actually the cultural icon had to die, was it a mishap in paragliding, scuba diving, yacht or a pre-planned murder taking advantage of the sea outing.

The sadness and melancholy instantly turned into outrages with a genuine question- why Zubeen was taken to the island nation as he was not physically well for months. Millions of his fans and admirers in eastern India got annoyed when they encountered some clippings of videos witnessing Zubeen swimming in the seawater even without a life jacket, not to speak of the doctors’ repeated warning to avoid diving against a water body. The netizens also cried foul, why his tragic incident was not properly reported, even though a group of Asomiya people (including a journalist, a news channel owner, a police officer and many media savvy individuals)  accompanied  Zubeen to participate in the 4th North East India Festival, organized in the southeast Asian nation on 19, 20 and 21 September 2025 to showcase various products and cultural heritage of north-eastern region.

The sad news that broke in the afternoon hours of 19 September brought Assam to a standstill. For nearly five days, Guwahati turned into a sea of humans- weeping, sobbing, crying and exclaiming why Zubeen was put to death thousands kilometers away from his motherland. The phenomenal singer’s last journey started in a flower-decked ambulance on 21 September morning from Guwahati airport to Zubeen’s Kahilipara residence and then he was moved to Sarusajai stadium driving amidst unprecedented crowds. Zubeen was put inside a glass-casket for public viewing and homage for two days and cremated on 23 September at Kamarkuchi near Guwahati with full state honours and 21-gun salutes after four days of mourning. Many recollected sad memories relating to the final departure of Dr Bhupen Hazarika (8 September 1926 – 5 November 2011), another widely acclaimed singer, musician, writer, filmmaker and public communicator, when the residents of the eastern Indian subcontinent grieved for days in total.

Meanwhile, all the newspapers of Assam dedicated front-pages for Zubeen-related developments and news channels started telecasting all important updates round the clock. Even before Zubeen’s last rites, over 60 police complaints were lodged against Shyamkanu Mahanta (chief organizer of the festival in Singapore, where Zubeen was scheduled to perform),  Siddharth Sharma (his manager), Shekarjyoti Goswami (a Zubeen associate) and Sanjive Narain (businessman and owner of Prag News satellite channel and Dainik Janambhumi newspaper) in various police stations, alleging that Zubeen had to die in Singapore because of their collective callousness. Facing unprecedented public cries, the State government also ordered a probe and urgently formed a special investigation team (SIT) under the crime investigation department (CID) of Assam Police. As the investigation proceeds,  Mahanta and Sharma have been arrested and many others continue facing interrogations.

Booked under various sections of  Bharatiya Nyaya Sanghita (BNS) against Mahanta and Sharma, both were arrested in New Delhi and flown to Guwahati under high security cover.  After producing them before the chief judicial magistrate of Kamrup (metro), the police took their custody for 14 days. A number of media anchors claimed that the State police department sent a team to arrest  Mahanta in Singapore itself, but in reality nobody went there and he was picked up once Mahanta arrived in the Indira Gandhi International Airport from Singapore, which was recently clarified by a senior officer.  Sharma was arrested from  Gurugram locality and both were brought back together on 1 October. Both were seen handcuffed in Guwahati, even though the television viewers witnessed an item (seemingly a cell phone) in   Mahanta’s pocket. However, the SIT head denied it as fake news (even though with no justification to his claim).

Singapore’s widely circulated and acclaimed daily The Straits Times reported that their police department ruled out foul play in Zubeen’s death during a sea outing in waters off St John’s Island and not after scuba diving as initially reported by various media outlets). Talking to the newspaper, a spokesman for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on 1 October stated they have extended a copy of the autopsy report (issued by Singapore General Hospital), along with its preliminary findings on Zubeen’s demise (due to drowning), to the High Commission of India, upon its request.  Quoting Ng Kai Ling, associate director at LIMN Law Corporation, the newspaper reported that SPF’s initial statement could be assumed that they do not suspect Zubeen was murdered or he died as a result of criminal violence. She however pointed out that a coroner’s inquiry could ascertain the sequence of events that led to his drowning and death.
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with many politicians, acclaimed singer-film-stars and other individuals mourned Zubeen’s untimely death. PM Modi even remembered him in ‘Mon Ki Baat’, broadcast through the national radio network on 28 September. Terming the artiste as a Kohinoor of Assamese culture, Modi stated, Zubeen’s music will continue to live in the hearts of people for generations. However, many so-called national news outlets ignored the developments. Leaving aside a few newspapers and satellite channels, they took many days to report on  Zubeen’s death and its aftermath. But their ignorance and inefficiency were compensated by thousands of digital media platforms, which updated all important developments from the land of Zubeen, who once exclaimed that he does not belong to any caste/community, religion or God. Indeed, Zubeen Garg was independent and remained free from all kinds of prejudices surviving in our society for centuries.

ALSO READ: Justice For Zubeen Campaign Gains Momentum