Inmate said Sheena Bora alive, in Srinagar: Indrani Mukerjea to CBI

MUMBAI: After spending more than six years in jail as an undertrial for the alleged murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, accused Indrani Mukerjea has now claimed that an inmate, who is a woman government official, told her she is, in fact, alive.
In a letter to the CBI, Indrani said the inmate has claimed to have met Sheena in Srinagar. Indrani urged the CBI to probe the claim.
Indrani sent the letter to the CBI director on November 27 after receiving the information from the inmate on November 25. Indrani has disclosed the name and details of that inmate in the letter stating while on vacation in Srinagar, the inmate met Sheena.
Indrani’s lawyer Sana Raees Khan is likely to move an application before the special CBI court on December 28. Khan’s plea will urge the court to direct the CBI to record the officer’s statement.
Indrani was arrested in August 2015 in connection with the 2012 murder. Trial in the case is currently underway before the special CBI court.
On April 24, 2012, Bora (24) was allegedly abducted and murdered by her mother Indrani, Indrani’s ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai in conspiracy with Indrani’s then husband, media mogul Peter Mukerjea. It was alleged Bora’s body was disposed in a deserted spot off Pen-Khopoli Road, Raigad.
On August 21, 2015, Rai was arrested by Khar police in an illegal arms case. During interrogation, he told them about Sheena’s murder. Indrani and Sanjeev were arrested a few days later by city police. On September 29, 2015, the case was transferred to the CBI.
In November 2015, the first chargesheet was filed and Peter was arrested. He was granted bail in 2020. The CBI had claimed the remains found belonged to Sheena and that DNA evidence proved this.
In 2016, the special CBI court allowed Rai’s plea to turn approver in the case. A year later he deposed for the first time as the trial commenced. So far, around 67 witnesses have deposed. Mikhail Bora, Indrani’s son (from an earlier relationship with Siddhartha Das) and Sheena’s brother, has deposed as a prosecution witness. Das too deposed.
Other family members listed as witnesses in the chargesheets include Peter’s son (from an earlier marriage) and Sheena’s fiance Rahul Mukerjea, Peter’s brother Gautam Mukerjea and Indrani’s daughter with Sanjeev, Vidhie Mukerjea.
In November 2019, the 59th witness had told the special CBI court that Indrani was the “biological mother of the DNA of the left femur bone” examined from the remains the CBI claimed belonged to Sheena. In December that year, the DNA expert who had linked Indrani to the purported remains of Sheena admitted that he has been under suspension since October after being accused of giving the wrong report in a Kalyan case.