He played an active and important role in conspiracy with wife Indrani’
Arguing that former television executive Peter Mukherjea played an “active and important role” in the murder of his step daughter Sheena Bora, the CBI on Friday invoked the charge of murder and criminal conspiracy against him.
Following his surprise arrest on Thursday evening, Peter was produced before a magistrate’s court on Friday and remanded to CBI custody till November 23.
The CBI has also booked Peter for attempt to murder, destruction of evidence.
“The accused [Peter] was found to be involved in the criminal conspiracy with his wife. He tried to mislead his son Rahul into not letting him pursue Sheena Bora’s disappearance. It has been revealed from the recorded conversation of Peter and Rahul that despite the knowledge of Sheena’s death, the accused falsely told his son that he had spoken to her on the phone and that she was in the U.S.,” Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the CBI, told the court.
Citing the need to investigate the financial trail, Mr. Singh told the court that Peter, a British national, had “roots at various places in India, such as Mumbai, Delhi, Shillong, Goa, Kolkata and Guwahati, and abroad.”
The CBI also cited Peter’s absence from the country at the time of the murder and his constant communication with his wife as grounds for his remand.
“He was constantly in touch with Indrani Mukherjea prior to during and after the incident. Telephone records show conversations of 20 to 25 minutes on the night of Sheena’s murder and the day the body was disposed,” Mr. Singh said.
Peter and Indrani were both in London in April 2012. Indrani returned to India on April 23, a day before Sheena’s murder. Whereas, Peter returned on April 26.
The CBI also raised suspicion that Peter did nothing after Sheena, a family member, disappeared. The agency said they had to recover certain “missing articles” of Sheena, namely her purse, mobile and ATM card. Hinting at a motive for Peter, the CBI said property issues could have been a concern for Peter had Rahul and Sheena, who were in a relationship, got married.
Peter’s lawyer Niranjan Mundargi accused the CBI of making “farfetched” claims and contended that Peter’s conversations with his wife did not imply participation in the murder conspiracy. Furthermore, his conversation with Rahul on Sheena was a way to break the ice between Rahul and his wife Indrani. The defence pointed out that Sheena had no financial dealings with Peter.
The magistrate also gave copies of charge sheet to Indrani Mukherjea, her former husband Sanjeev Rai and her driver Shyamvar Rai and committed the case to CBI special court for trail. The trio will be produced before the CBI court on December 3.
‘I am framed’
Indrani, who was brought to court in the morning, broke down in court after seeking family members. ‘I have been framed,’ she told the media outside the court while being whisked away in a police van.
Meanwhile, Rahul, whose recorded conversation with his father Peter was being constantly referred to in the arguments, refused to react to the CBI allegations. Asked if Peter’s arrest was unexpected, he said, “Of course! It came as a shock to me. Of course I do not believe he knew [about Sheena’s murder]. Otherwise I would not have come to court.”
Peter’s other son Robin and brother Gautam Mukherjea were also present in court. Sanjeev Khanna’s brother and nephew were also present.
From the Internet Desk:
Here is a look at the main players involved in the murder case.
Sheena Bora Indrani Mukherjea (43): Founder of the INX media network
Peter Mukherjea (59): Former CEO of Star TV and husband of Indrani Mukherjea since 2002
Sheena Bora (24 at the time of death): Indrani’s daughter who was introduced to Peter as her sister.
Mikhail Bora: Indrani’s son
Siddhartha Das: Father of Sheena and Mikhail
Rahul Mukherjea: Son of Peter from a previous marriage
Sanjeev Khanna: Businessman and former husband of Indrani
Shyamvar Pinturam Rai: Indrani’s driver
Indrani Mukherjea A Timeline of events:
November 19, 2015: CBI arrests Peter Mukherjea along with filing charge sheets against Indrani, ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai the driver.
October 7, 2015: Indrani discharged from hospital,doctors confirmed drug overdose.
October 2, 2015: Indrani Mukherjea admitted in JJ Hospital after she allegedly overdosed on anti-epileptic pills.
September 19, 2015: Maharashtra announces the handover of the case to CBI.
September 9, 2015: Peter Mukherjea reveals to Khar police that Indrani often abused him.
September 7, 2015: Body of Sheena Bora found in Raigad forest.
September 5, 2015: The police custody extended again till September 7.
September 3, 2015: Indrani Mukherjea confessed her role in the murder.
September 1, 2015: Siddharth Das confessed that he is the biological father of Sheena and Mikhail Bora.
August 31, 2015: Fresh charges filed against Indrani attempting to kill her son. Police custody of the three accussed extended till September 5, 2015.
August 30, 2015: The three arrested were taken to the crime scene in Raigad. The call records were also checked by the police.
August 29, 2015: Maharashtra Police has ordered a probe into why the Raigad Police did not register an Accidental Death Report (ADR) after they found a burnt corpse, suspected to be of Sheena Bora, in 2012.
August 28, 2015: Sanjeev Khanna confessed to his "complicity in the crime." He had earlier said that, Sheena’s body was lying next to him in a car in which they were travelling together in Mumbai on April 24, 2012.
August 27, 2015: Sheena Shyam Rai, Indrani's driver, confessed that he murdered Sheena and disposed of her body, on the direction of his employer Indrani Mukherjea.
August 27, 2015: Sanjeev Khanna, a Kolkata based businessman and ex-husband of Indrani Mukherjea was arrested from Kolkata.
August 26, 2015: Indrani opened up that Sheena was her daughter from a previous marriage and not sister as maintained.
August 21, 2015: Shyamvar Pinturam Rai is arrested following the seizure of a 7.63-bore pistol from him.
May 23, 2012: Police find a decomposed body after villagers at Gagode in Pen tehsil, Maharashtra, complain of foul odour.
April 24, 2012: Sheena Bora takes a leave of absence from work at Mumbai Metro. On the same day she sends a resignation letter to her employer. She is not heard from again. No missing complaint is ever lodged by any family member.
Peter Mukherjea and his wife Indrani Mukherjea Shyamvar: Discloses that he, Indrani and Khanna, strangulated Sheena inside a car on April 24, 2012. The car with the body inside is parked in Peter’s garage till the next day when the body is burnt and dumped.
Mikhail Bora: Says he knows the “exact reason” for which his sister was murdered and reveals that Sheena was Indrani’s daughter and not sister as had been made public.
Indrani: Accepts that Sheena was her daughter.
Peter: Says he never knew Sheena was Indrani’s daughter but knew that she was in a relationship with Rahul, and that his wife disapproved of the relationship.
