Some anniversaries are ceremonies. This one felt more like a roll call.
On 19 September 2026, a year to the day after Zubeen Garg died in the waters off Lazarus Island in Singapore, hundreds of fans, family members and fellow artists gathered at Zubeen Khetra in Sonapur, the memorial site on the outskirts of Guwahati where his last rites were held. They sang his songs. They asked, again, for justice. And a few kilometres away, the legal process that is supposed to deliver that justice was still grinding through its witness list.
What Happened On The Anniversary
The Assam government’s Cultural Affairs Department ran a three day commemorative programme that began on 17 September and ended on the anniversary itself, The Shillong Times reported. Students across Guwahati sang “Diya Ghurai Diya” and other Zubeen songs, while his wife Garima Saikia Garg attended tributes, per IANS photo coverage carried by Social News XYZ.
Singer Angaraag “Papon” Mahanta visited Zubeen Khetra on the eve of the anniversary and met Garima. He had a gentle ask for fans who police younger singers covering Zubeen’s songs. “It is a beautiful sight that so many young people are singing their hearts out to Zubeen’s songs,” he said, stressing that mistakes can be corrected later.
Veteran actor Arun Hazarika, who described Garg as his former neighbour, drew a careful line. “We want justice for Zubeen, but this should not be at the cost of injustice to someone else,” he said, while also questioning the pace of the investigation and the unfinished state of the memorial site.
AASU chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya told ANI: “Today we are here to pay our respects to Zubeen Garg. One year has passed since the unexpected incident… Zubeen Garg must get justice.” In Delhi, officials at Assam House held a floral tribute and planted Nahor saplings, according to ANI via WebIndia123. Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi asked the state to declare 19 September a public holiday called Zubeen Divas.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a tribute and joined a blood donation drive in Guwahati held in Garg’s memory, according to IANS reports carried by Social News XYZ. Politics and grief have been tangled up in this story from day one, and the anniversary was no different. Northeast Now pointed out that days after the death, the government promised “100% justice,” and a year later the trial has no verdict.
Where The Case Actually Stands
This is where it helps to separate the emotion from the record.
- The death: Garg, 52, died on 19 September 2025 during a yacht outing in Singapore, a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East India Festival.
- Singapore’s position: Singapore’s State Coroner ruled the death an accidental drowning in March 2026, and the Singapore Police Force said it found no evidence of foul play, as reported by India New England News and Outlook.
- Assam’s position: An Assam Police CID Special Investigation Team filed a chargesheet in December 2025 naming seven accused. Four of them, festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, manager Siddhartha Sarma, bandmate Shekharjyoti Goswami and singer Amritprabha Mahanta, face murder charges. Garg’s cousin Sandipan Garg faces a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, per Northeast Now.
- Trial: Charges were framed against all seven in May 2026. All pleaded not guilty. Day to day hearings in a fast track court began in June.
- Witnesses: The chargesheet lists 394 witnesses. Special Public Prosecutor Ziaur Kamar told ETV Bharat that more than 120 had testified by the anniversary. Garima Saikia Garg has put the figure at more than 100.
The trial did not pause for the anniversary. On 23 September, Singapore based Assamese resident Abhimanyu Talukdar appeared before the fast track court, following earlier testimony from yacht witnesses including Parikshit Sharma, Sushmita Goswami, Pratim Lahkar and Debajyoti Hazarika, IANS reported.
Meanwhile, in the Supreme Court, Mahanta’s bail plea is listed for 5 October 2026 after the court on 17 August asked Assam to “diligently proceed” with the trial, LiveLaw reported.
Why It Matters
For the rest of India, Zubeen Garg is often shorthand for “Ya Ali” from Gangster (2006). In Assam, he was something closer to a cultural spine: songs, films, activism, an identity. That is why the anniversary drew crowds that looked less like a memorial and more like a movement.
It also puts two official accounts of the same death side by side: an accidental drowning finding from Singapore, and murder charges in Assam. Both are on record. Neither erases the other. Only the Guwahati court can decide what the evidence proves, and until it does, anyone telling you they already know the ending is guessing.
Bengaluru Baath Take
A year on, the most honest thing anyone can say is that the music is doing its job and the system is still doing its paperwork. Assam turned grief into choirs, which is exactly the kind of tribute a singer earns. The justice part now sits with a fast track court working through a very long witness list. We will be watching the 5 October Supreme Court date. Until then, play “Mayabini” loud, and let the court do the talking.
More On Bengaluru Baath
Sources
- The Shillong Times: Zubeen Garg’s first death anniversary, fans gather in Sonapur
- Social News XYZ (IANS): Tribute to Zubeen Garg on his first death anniversary
- WebIndia123 (ANI): Nation remembers late singer
- Outlook: Zubeen Garg first death anniversary, timeline and case
- Northeast Now: Zubeen Garg trial still without verdict
- ETV Bharat: A year on, voice for justice grows stronger
- MENAFN (IANS): Another Singapore based Assamese appears before fast track court
- India New England News: Singapore based witness appears in court
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court tells Assam to diligently proceed with trial
