A day after Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, said his friend was the auditor of INX Media, main accused in the Sheena Bora murder case Indrani Mukerjea said she knew the father and the son.
On May 15, the CBI filed an FIR against Indrani and her husband, Peter, for cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption in connection with alleged irregularities in foreign direct investments of ₹305 crore in INX Media and INX News, belonging to the Mukerjeas.
The Mukerjeas were brought to the city civil and sessions court in Mumbai for the murder trial on Monday. Indrani spoke briefly to reporters on her way back to jail and said, “I know Karti and Chidambaram. But the case I guess is about his investments and deals. I don’t know much about it and refute allegations.”
This was the first time that the Mukerjeas appeared in court after the CBI searched their house in Worli as part of the investigation linked to Mr. Karti Chidambaram.
Judge transferred
The hearing in the murder case was adjourned to June 12 as judge H.S. Mahajan has been transferred to the Aurangabad sessions court. The judge spoke to all the accused in the case, including Indrani’s former husband, Sanjeev Khanna, and said, “Cooperate with the new judge, take care of your health and finish the trial fast.”
The judge also said that had he continued, he would have finished the trial in two to three months.
In February, the first witness in the case, police sub-inspector Ganesh Dalvi, deposed in the court. However, the recording of his evidence could not be completed as the defence raised an objection.
Dalvi had arrested accused-turned-approver Shyamvar Rai (Indrani’s former driver) in an arms case. It was his arrest that blew the lid off the murder case.
Later, the defence lawyers moved the Bombay High Court, which ruled that Dalvi’s deposition, giving details of disclosures made by Rai during his interrogation about the murder case, cannot be admitted as evidence.
(With inputs from agencies)
