In what could have been a double murder, investigations in the Sheena Bora murder case have led the police to believe that there was a plot to kill her brother Mikhail Bora the same day, but he managed to escape.
Indrani Mukherjea, her husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were produced before a magistrate’s court on Monday and remanded in further police custody till September 5.
Citing fresh grounds for extension of their remand, the police said the trio poisoned Mikhail’s alcoholic drink aiming to murder him. “From the statements of witnesses it has been found that preparations were made to murder Sheena and her brother Mikhail on the same day,” the police said in their remand copy. They have recovered the “second bag” in which his body was supposed to be packed for disposal after murder. Accordingly, the police enhanced the charges against them under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 202 (intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform) and 203 (giving false information on an offence committed).
The police said in their remand application that Indrani was not cooperating in the investigation.
Drama in court
High drama unfolded as Indrani, Sanjeev and Shyamvar were brought to the courtroom, their faces covered.
Indrani and Sanjeev’s daughter Vidhie was present in the court from the morning and broke down as soon as she saw her mother. Upon the defence lawyer’s plea, the court allowed Vidhie to meet her mother briefly in court, surrounded by a police team. The stress was too much for Indrani and she staggered and nearly fainted. Her lawyer Gunjan Mangla alerted the court: “She is becoming unconscious.” After a quick hug, Indrani was whisked out. Vidhie refused to speak to the media.
Though investigators have seized mobile phones and obtained call records, they found that Indrani and Sanjeev had ‘hatched the murder conspiracy on Skype.’ The probe itself was getting delayed as it extended to Kolkata and Guwahati, the police said, while pressing for fresh remand. They also had to establish the financial trail, suspected to be a motive behind Sheena’s murder.
“The possible motives under investigation are financial and property-related issues. They [the police] also want to establish the complete chain of events, from the time Sheena was abducted till her body was disposed of in the jungles of Pen,” public prosecutor Laxman Rathod said.
Meanwhile, opposing an application filed by Sanjeev for medicines, clothes and home food, the police said Sanjeev could be poisoned if outside food was allowed. The court directed that Sanjeev be given the medication required by him on the directions of the medical officer.
