India, Jan. 14 -- New details have emerged in the death of singer-musician Zubeen Garg, confirming that the Assamese icon drowned while swimming off Lazarus Island in Singapore - not while scuba diving, as earlier reported. Singapore newspaper The Straits Times reported that Assistant Superintendent of Police David Lim of the Police Coast Guard, the first of 35 witnesses in the coroner's inquiry, testified about Zubeen Garg's death, which occurred on September 19 last year in Singapore.

During a hearing on Wednesday, Singapore authorities told the court that Zubeen had been "severely intoxicated" at the time of the incident. Several witnesses reported seeing him attempt to swim back to the yacht before going limp and floating face down i...