“Malicious, painful, and unfair”: Assam businessman breaks silence on allegations surrounding Zubeen Garg's death

After days of silence amid widespread speculation and allegations, AM Television Chairman and Managing Director Sanjive Narain has issued a detailed statement addressing the controversy surrounding singer Zubeen Garg’s tragic death in Singapore.

Calling the accusations against him “malicious, painful, and deeply unfair,” Narain said he deliberately refrained from speaking between September 19 and 23 to allow Assam to mourn without distraction. “Zubeen was like family to me. It would have been wrong to speak when his last rites had not yet been completed. But the lies that were spread in the meantime hurt me and my family beyond measure,” he said.

One of the most viral claims alleged that Narain had hosted a private party on September 18 in Singapore, which Zubeen purportedly attended. Denying the allegation outright, Narain clarified that he was in Guwahati at the time, attending the Shaheed Pranam Tumak premiere. He then flew to Kolkata at 7:50 pm before catching an 11:30 pm IST flight to Singapore.

He stressed that the party video timestamped at 9:39 pm Singapore time coincided with his presence at Guwahati Airport. “There was no way I could have been in Singapore, let alone organizing a party,” Narain said. Boarding passes and documents attached to his statement were presented as evidence supporting his timeline.

Addressing another allegation that he had booked the yacht where Zubeen’s accident occurred, Narain firmly denied any involvement. He explained that after arriving in Singapore at 6:30 am on September 19, he checked into his hotel by 10 AM, rested until 3 pm, and was preparing for lunch when he received a call about the accident.

“I had no knowledge of who booked the yacht or who took Zubeen to sea,” he said, adding that later it was confirmed a member of the Singapore Assamese community, identified as Tanmay, had arranged the outing.

Narain’s statement includes an emotional account of Zubeen’s final moments. He rushed to the jetty where efforts were underway to revive the singer. “I shouted, asking why Zubeen was even allowed to go to sea in the first place, and why CPR was being given there instead of rushing him to the hospital,” he recalled.

According to Narain, Singapore Police permitted only him to accompany Zubeen in the ambulance, but he insisted that Siddhartha, who knew Zubeen’s medical history, be allowed to join. Despite extensive ICU efforts, doctors declared Zubeen dead at 5:15 PM Singapore time (2:45 PM IST).

Breaking down, Narain said the wave of anger and conspiracy theories denied him the chance to bid farewell. “This targeted campaign denied me my right to say goodbye to my 35-year-old friend and a member of my extended family. Despite repeated requests, we were advised not to attend the funeral. The pain of not seeing him one last time will stay forever,” he said.

Directly addressing his critics, Narain accused “a handful of people on social media” of weaponizing grief and spreading unverified claims. “This relentless conspiracy inflicted deep emotional pain on me and my family. It destroyed our dignity at a time when we were also grieving,” he concluded.