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'Forcefully taken...': Zubeen Garg's wife makes big claim on singer's death, manager's role
Garima Saikia Garg recounted talking with the singer a day before the incident, saying, Zubeen Garg didn't mention any such plans during their last conversation
The sudden death of Zubeen Garg on September 19 in Singapore has left the country and the state’s music industry in deep mourning with many unanswered questions surrounding the events that led to the death of popular Assamese singer.
Garg, who was in Singapore for the celebration of 60 years of India-Singapore diplomatic relations, tragically drowned while swimming. Since then, the investigators have arrested Garg’s manager Siddhartha Sharma and festival chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta from Delhi under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence.
Recently, Garima Saikia Garg, Zuben's wife, questioned the manager’s role during an interview with CNN-News18, without actually naming Siddhartha Sharma, she raised questions over the circumstances leading to his death.
“Why was he not taken care of when his manager was there? We have lost our cultural icon,” the news channel quoted Garima as saying. She further added that the singer was unexpectedly taken for a picnic and swimming despite being visibly exhausted from his tours.
Garima also recounted talking with the singer a day before the incident, saying, Zubeen did not mention any such plans during their last conversation, suggesting he may not have been informed.
“He usually sleeps during the day; maybe he was forcefully taken. He was also on medication – I don’t even know if he was given his medicines,” she told the news outlet.
‘He never had a heart problem’
Authorities in Singapore confirmed that the 52-year-old singer died after swimming in waters off Singapore island, ruling out foul play, according to a report in news agency PTI.
On September 19, Garg was found unconscious in the waters off St John’s Island in Singapore and was immediately taken to Singapore General Hospital, where he was declared dead later that day.
However, the question that troubled Garima was that her husband never suffered from heart issues. “He never had a heart problem… when he had the seizure, he was back in a minute. I was really shocked,” she said, adding that when she asked the manager what had happened, she was told that Zubeen had his first seizure in the water, reported CNN-News 18.
She also expressed concern that the family was denied access to photos and videos from the day of the incident. “There might be many things… and we all want to know what exactly happened,” Garima said in the interview.
Family awaits answers
Speaking earlier to reporters, Garima said she was relieved that the two accused were brought to Assam. “We are all waiting to know what happened to him in his last moments,” she said, as quoted by PTI.
She added that she has “full faith in the investigating team” and hoped the probe would soon reveal the truth behind the singer’s final hours in Singapore.
