Zubeen Garg didn't drown, he was poisoned: Band member's sensational claim

Guwahati (The Uttam Hindu): The mystery surrounding the death of Assam's famous singer Zubeen Garg has deepened. Jubeen's band member, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, who was arrested during the investigation, has made a sensational revelation. In his statement to the police, Goswami alleged that Zubeen did not die by drowning while scuba diving, but was poisoned to death in Singapore. Following this revelation, the Assam government has formed a one-member judicial commission to investigate the matter.

Zubin died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19, 2025. Festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahant, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, and two band members, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahant, have been arrested and remanded to 14 days in police custody. According to the police remand note, during interrogation, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami alleged that manager Siddharth Sharma and organizer Shyamkanu Mahant conspired to poison Zubin.

Goswami stated in his statement that Zubin was a trained swimmer, making it impossible for him to drown. He alleged that manager Siddharth Sharma was heard shouting, "Jabo de, jabo de" (in Assamese – let go, let go) as Zubin struggled to breathe underwater. Goswami claims that a foreign location like Singapore was deliberately chosen to conceal the murder plot.

Shekhar also stated that when Zubin was drowning, foam was coming out of his mouth and nose, but manager Siddharth dismissed it as acid reflux and refused to provide necessary medical assistance. Furthermore, Siddharth forcibly took control of the boat, causing it to sway dangerously.

Given the gravity of the matter, the Assam government has constituted a one-member judicial commission headed by Gauhati High Court Judge Soumitra Saikia. The commission will submit its report within six months. The Chief Minister's Office shared this information on X-ray late on October 3. A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CID is already investigating the case in Singapore.