A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam CID has filed what is believed to be the longest chargesheet ever submitted in a murder case in India. The investigation into the death of popular singer Zubeen Garg has resulted in a document that runs into 12,000 pages, far exceeding previous records in similar cases. The chargesheet was submitted at the Kamrup Metropolitan Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, marking an important step in the long-running probe. For comparison, the murder case of journalist Gauri Lankesh had a 9,235-page chargesheet, while the Shraddha Walkar murder case involved around 6,629 pages. Although some major financial fraud cases have crossed tens of thousands of pages, such as the Bhushan Steel case, the Zubeen Garg case now stands out as the most extensive chargesheet in a murder investigation.
The chargesheet covers two linked cases and uses provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which replaced several sections of the old Indian Penal Code. The SIT has named several people and detailed the specific charges against them. According to the chargesheet, Siddharth Sharma, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Amritprabha, and Shekharjyoti have been charged under Section 103 of the BNS for abetment of murder. Another accused, Sandeepan Garg, has been booked under Section 105 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Two bodyguards, Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, face charges under Section 316 for causing death through acts committed with the knowledge that such actions could be fatal. They have also been accused of criminal breach of trust. Officials say the chargesheet explains the entire sequence of events leading to the singer’s death, along with evidence, witness statements, and the roles assigned to each accused. Legal observers believe the size of the document shows the depth and complexity of the investigation.
Speaking about the development, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the SIT had kept its promise to submit the chargesheet on time. He stated, “We intend to provide justice to our beloved artist Zubeen Garg at any cost. The responsibility taken up by the SIT team has proved right as they managed to submit the chargesheet on time before the court. We believe the court will now review it and punish the guilty.” The Kamrup Metropolitan Court is expected to begin examining the chargesheet in the coming weeks. The case has drawn wide public attention across Assam and the country, given Zubeen Garg’s immense popularity and the nature of the allegations. The submission of the chargesheet is now seen as a major milestone in the effort to uncover the truth behind one of Assam’s most talked-about murder cases.