Fast‑Track Court Accelerates Probe into Zubeen Garg’s Singapore Fatality

The Special Fast‑Track Court in Guwahati has been handling the Zubeen Garg murder case with a daily docket since its formation in March 2024. The court’s accelerated schedule aims to conclude the trial well before the statutory limit.

One of the most consequential testimonies came from Parikshit Sharma, an Assam Association member who was aboard the yacht off Lazarus Island when the tragic incident unfolded in September 2025.

Garg, aged 52, was in Singapore to perform at the fourth North East India Festival. While the yacht was anchored near Lazarus Island, he left the deck to swim and subsequently drowned on September 19, 2025.

The singer’s untimely death ignited widespread outrage in Assam, prompting multiple protests and a surge of police complaints. The state’s Special Investigation Team consolidated over sixty FIRs and turned the case over to the CID.

In December 2025, the SIT filed a charge sheet naming seven accused, including festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, fellow band member Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, vocalist Amritprabha Mahanta, cousin Sandipan Garg, security officer Nandeshwar Bora, and associate Prabin Baishya. The charges range from criminal negligence to homicide and await adjudication.

The Fast‑Track court’s daily hearings have already seen the prosecution frame charges against all suspects by May, allowing the trial to move forward swiftly.

Witness collection began on June 8, and by August 14, statements from 94 of the 394 listed witnesses had been recorded, with many Singapore‑based witnesses still pending.

Singapore’s Coroner Court, in a ruling issued in March, classified the death as drowning, finding no evidence of foul play. Indian courts, however, continue to examine broader allegations that have emerged during the investigation.

The Supreme Court has also issued an order urging the Assam government to hasten the proceedings, underscoring the importance of Sharma’s eyewitness account in reaching a final verdict.