The sudden and enigmatic death of Zubeen Garg, Assam’s beloved singer, composer, actor and cultural ambassador has plunged the state into grief and ignited one of the largest digital movements in its history. What began as a drowning incident in Singapore on September 19, 2025, has evolved into a fierce public outcry under the banner #JusticeForZubeenGarg amassing over 1 million participants across social media platforms.
As investigations continues, the campaign fueled by Garg’s widow Garima Saikia Garg’s emotional pleas has united fans, artists and politicians alike transcending religious and ethnic divides to demand transparency and accountability.
Zubeen Garg, born on November 18, 1972, in Jorhat, Assam, was a polymath whose talents spanned music, film, poetry and philanthropy. Known affectionately as “Zubeen Da” or the “Voice of Assam,” he had sung over 38,000 songs in Assamese, Bengali and Hindi, composing hits like “Ya Ali” from the Bollywood film Gangster and “Dil Tu Hi Bataa” from Krrish 3. His discography included contributions to Assamese cinema, where he also acted, directed and produced. Garg’s activism shone through in his 2019 protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) positioning him as a voice for cultural preservation. 
Even controversies, such as his 2018 advice to Olympian Hima Das to eat meat for better performance shows his passion for Assam’s youth. At 52, Garg was at the peak of his influence.
The incident took place during a yacht party near Lazarus Island in Singapore, where Garg was preparing to headline the North East India Festival (NEIF) to mark the 60th anniversary of India-Singapore diplomatic ties and the India-ASEAN Year of Tourism. Initial reports suggested a scuba diving mishap, but clarifications from Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed he drowned while swimming not diving as an expert swimmer who showed no signs of distress beforehand.
Rescued by authorities and rushed to Singapore General Hospital, Garg succumbed in the ICU around 2:30 p.m. IST. The SPF issued a death certificate citing drowning, ruling out foul play initially and conducted an autopsy. However, his body was repatriated to Assam amid growing suspicions.Back home, a second post-mortem at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on September 23 ordered by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to quell public unrest revealed inconsistencies that fueled conspiracy theories. The viscera report, sent to Delhi’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) hinted at a “definite angle,” according to Sarma on October 12.
Yet, the report remains classified, with leaks suggesting possible poisoning. Garg’s bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, now arrested alleged in police remand documents that manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta poisoned Garg, pointing his swimming skill made accidental drowning implausible.The Assam government formed a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Crime Investigation Department (CID), alongside a one-man judicial commission. Invoking the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) on September 30, India requested CCTV footage, witness statements and evidence from Singapore’s Attorney General’s Office.
As of October 15, responses are pending, complicating the probe. Seven individuals have been detained on charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and potential murder: Mahanta, Sharma, Garg’s cousin and DSP Sandipan Garg, Goswami, singer Amritprava Mahanta and security personnel Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya. Suspicious financial transactions exceeding Rs 1.1 crore through Bora and Baishya’s accounts over four years have raised red flags. On October 15, five accused Mahanta, Sharma and others were remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody and sent to Baksa district jail.
The #JusticeForZubeenGarg campaign, erupting organically post-funeral on September 24 has ballooned into a pan-Assam phenomenon. Launched by fans and amplified by the artiste community, it hit 1 million engagements by October 13, trending globally on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. A Change.org petition demands a “fair and impartial investigation,” while the All Assam Lawyers’ Association decried the death as shrouded in “suspicion, mystery, and conspiracy.” The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) kicked off a statewide drive on October 17, planning to affix 10 lakh stickers with Garg’s image and justice slogans on vehicles.
Internationally, the fervor spilled over: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s Facebook page received over 20,000 comments tagging #JusticeForZubeenGarg prompting it to become inaccessible to Indian users; a move netizens hailed as the campaign’s “digital victory.”At the campaign’s emotional core is Garima Saikia Garg, Zubeen’s wife of over two decades. In a tearful Facebook Live on October 10, she said, “Don’t just pray.. write #JusticeForZubeenGarg every day, demand justice every day, request it, pray for it. If someone is guilty, they must face severe punishment.” “Justice within 10 days,” she said aligning with the viral #We_Need_ZubeenGargJustice_Within_10Days. Actress Amrita Gogoi highlighted this on October 12 and led a coordinated online protest at 10 a.m. on October 13, which trended across the country and received support from musicians and poets. Politically, the issue has divided Assam ahead of the 2026 elections.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, leading his party’s “Raijor Poduli, Raijor Congress” outreach in tea gardens, accused Sarma of “credit-seeking publicity” and mishandling the probe. On October 13, Gogoi invoked Garg’s iconic line.. “Mur kunu jati nai, mur kunu dharma nai, moi mukto, moie Kanchanjunga” (I have no caste, no religion; I am free, I am Kanchanjunga) to slam “divisive politics” and alleged government efforts to “demean the musician and erase his ideals.” He joined the hashtag drive, urging followers: “Justice for Zubeen Garg is the voice of every Assamese.”
Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi, facing a defamation suit from Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma over unsubstantiated claims linking her firm to NEIF, called for street protests on October 13. “Unite and hit the streets for Zubeen Da,” he said vowing not to relent despite legal threats. His brother, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, also criticized the government’s ‘sluggishness.’ Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, responding to claims of politicization, emphasized ‘public sentiment and transparency’ but cautioned against ‘unrest.’ Riniki Gogoi filed a lawsuit against Akhil on October 8 (CR Case No. 502/2025) following his allegations, which she denied, stating her company Golden Threads was not involved with NEIF. Three Assamese expatriates from Singapore appeared for questioning on October 13, and six more have been summoned.
The campaign’s impact has been widely felt. Muslim fans, like truck driver Imam Hussain, who described Zubeen Garg’s music as a ‘bridge of harmony,’ joined Hindu-majority rallies, helping to dissolve CAA-era divides. On October 13, a citizens’ petition coordinated by Rakesh Hazarika of the Global Pandemic Response Forum urged the SPF for ‘humane governance’ in the ongoing investigation.
In Sonapur, plans for a memorial and museum housing 35,000 cassettes preserve his legacy. Even Diwali calls in Bajali district urged cracker bans in tribute.Yet, questions linger: Was it accident or assassination?
“#JusticeForZubeenGarg isn’t just a hashtag—it’s Assam’s heartbeat demanding truth,” says AJYCP president Palash Changmai. “Zubeen united us in song; now, we’ll unite for his justice.”
