By Grace Cyril,News18

Copyright news18

In an unfortunate turn of events, Assamese music legend Zubeen Garg lost his life on September 19, 2025, after a tragic scuba diving accident in Singapore. He was pulled out of the sea by Singapore police and rushed to a hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Doctors made every effort to save him, but despite everything, Garg couldn’t make it.
According to the latest update now, an FIR has been filed at Morigaon Police Station in Guwahati against Shyamkanu Mahanta, the manager of the 4th North East India Festival. The complaint was lodged by advocate Ratul Borah. Local North East media reports claim that Mahanta has been accused of foul play in connection with the incident.
FIR against Singapore event organisers
Advocate Ratul Borah has alleged that Shyamkanu Mahanta’s decision to bring Zubeen Garg to what he called a poorly managed event played a role in the singer’s death at 52. He further accused the event manager of negligence, claiming that his actions created conditions that led to the tragic outcome.
Also Read: Singer Zubeen Garg, Known For Bollywood And Assamese Hits, Dies In Singapore Scuba Diving Accident
The FIR also includes charges of criminal negligence against Mahanta.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Zubeen Garg was attending a party in Singapore on Friday afternoon, ahead of his scheduled performance on September 20. He reportedly went for a swim and suffered a heart attack. Sources claim he entered the water without wearing a life jacket. Zubeen was taken to Singapore General Hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.
Zubeen Garg’s body remains in Singapore for a post-mortem examination. Officials are expected to send it to Assam on Saturday for further funeral rites.
North East India Festival cancelled
Zubeen Garg was in Singapore to attend the 4th North East India Festival, where he was scheduled to perform on September 20, 2025. Following his untimely demise, the organisers announced that the event has been cancelled. In a statement shared on Instagram, they expressed grief over the singer’s passing and confirmed the cancellation as a mark of respect.
The statement read, “With profound grief, we share the heartbreaking news that our beloved icon, Zubeen Garg, passed away today at Singapore General Hospital around 2:30 PM. Zubeen had arrived in Singapore just the day before yesterday. He was scheduled to be with us at the festival tomorrow, meeting and interacting with people. Earlier today, our entire team was engaged in a business meeting with senior Singaporean industrialists and policymakers at the Shangri-La Hotel to facilitate investments in Northeast India.”

It further read, “During the meeting, we received a call from Zubeen’s manager informing us that he had met with an accident and had been rushed to Singapore General Hospital. We later learned that a few members of the local Assamese community had taken him on a yacht visit, of which we had no prior knowledge. On receiving the news, our team rushed immediately to the hospital and has since been working closely with the High Commission to complete the necessary procedures. This is a monumental loss, and words cannot express the depth of our grief. In light of this tragedy, we are cancelling the event. We are devastated and pray for the departed soul of Zubeen Garg. Om Shanti.”
Take a look:

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Authorities in Singapore are reportedly investigating the incident.

May his soul rest in peace.