Indrani refused bail for third time

Peter also files third bail plea

November 03, 2018 11:15 pm | Updated 11:15 pm IST - Mumbai

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court rejected the bail plea filed by Indrani Mukerjea for the third time on Saturday.

Judge J.C. Jagdale said Ms. Mukherjea has been charged with a very serious offence. Although majority of the trial is completed, the key witness, Rahul Mukherjea, is yet to depose. If she is granted bail, she can tamper with the evidence and witnesses. All her medical needs are taken care of and in case of any serious complications, authorities are competent enough to handle it. There is no medical treatment that JJ or any other hospital cannot offer, the court said.

Meanwhile, Peter Mukherjea has filed a third bail application through advocate Shrikant Shivade and said, there is no evidence to connect him with the case. The applications said that many witnesses have not named him in earlier statements. There are more than 200 witnesses in the case, however, in the last one year and nine months, only 22 have been examined. This shows that the trial will go on for long. Mr. Mukherjea is 63 years old and has developed multiple age-related problems and should therefore be granted bail, it said.

On October 16, Ms. Mukerjea had filed her third bail application on medical grounds, saying she had developed a neurological complication. “I am innocent till proven guilty. I have served three years in jail without committing any crime. This has taken a toll on my health. Will the CBI be responsible for the loss of my life?” she said.

However, the CBI had said, there is no point in granting her bail as she has no kin to take care of her. The CBI counsel also said that she is getting medical treatment as and when required. If there was a condition beyond the scope of the JJ Hospital, she would be taken to a private hospital.

On September 7, the court had rejected her second bail plea on grounds of “threat to life inside jail” and said, “the threats are exaggerated” and that she would be much safer inside prison. The court had taken into account the prosecution’s argument that Ms. Mukerjea has been kept in a secure jail. The prison premises are guarded round the clock and have CCTV cameras, it had said.

In 2016, Ms. Mukerjea had filed her first bail plea on medical grounds and said there was no ground to refuse it. She was arrested in August 2015 and has been in Byculla jail from October the same year. Mr. Mukerjea was arrested by the CBI on November 19, 2015, and has been in Arthur Road since December 2015. The Bombay High Court had previously rejected his bail on November 24, 2016 saying, “there is enough material in the investigation to prima facie infer that the applicant was also not in support of the relationship of Rahul with Sheena.”

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