For most part of her jail stint, Mukerjea remained lodged in a separate cells inside the prison. (Express file photo by Nirmal Harindran)The Supreme Court’s order on Wednesday granting bail to former media executive Indrani Mukerjea comes nearly seven years after she was arrested by the Mumbai police in 2015 in connection with the alleged murder of her daughter, Sheena Bora. The trial in the case was stalled for over a year after the special judge presiding over the case was moved during the annual general transfers. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic also led to the stalling of the case. With a new judge appointed in the case last month, the trial is expected to resume soon.
Mukerjea’s lawyer Sana Raees Khan said that the bail formalities will be initiated on Thursday and if completed, she is likely to be released on Friday from Byculla jail. As per her bail conditions, she will have to regularly attend the trial.
The CBI informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that 50 per cent of the remaining witnesses would be given up by the prosecution. While there are 237 witnesses cited by the CBI, 68 have deposed so far. The CBI told the court that Rahul Mukerjea, who Sheena was said to be in a relationship with, is expected to depose later this month.
Mukerjea’s co-accused in the case and former husband Peter Mukerjea is currently out on bail. Peter was granted bail in 2020. Sanjeev Khanna, Mukerjea’s former husband, and Shyamvar Rai, her former driver, who has become a prosecution witness in the case, remain behind bars. They were also arrested in 2015.
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Khanna’s bail application is pending before the Bombay High Court. Rai, who has turned approver in the case, was denied bail by the special court which had said that as an approver, he is not entitled for bail until the end of the trial unless there are some “extraordinary circumstances”.
Among the 68 witnesses who have deposed so far are Rai, forensic experts, Mukerjea’s son Mekhail and others.
Mukerjea was arrested on August 25, 2015, four days after Rai was apprehended by the police with an illegal weapon. It was claimed that
Rai, during his interrogation in the weapon case, spoke about his involvement in the murder of Bora on April 24, 2012. The Mumbai Police and the CBI, which took over the case, claimed that Sheena Bora, Mukerjea’s daughter from a previous relationship, was killed by her along with Rai and Khanna and in conspiracy with Peter.
Among the reasons for the murder as claimed by the CBI was that the couple was unhappy with Sheena Bora’s relationship with Rahul, Peter’s son from his previous marriage.
Since 2016, Mukerjea’s bail applications, including those on merits and medical grounds, were rejected by various courts citing the seriousness of the crime.
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