The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Wednesday rejected the interim medical bail plea filed by Shyamvar Rai, accused-turned-approver in the Sheena Bora murder case. Mr. Rai, lodged at Taloja Central Jail, has sought an interim medical bail for 45 days through email, citing that there is a risk to contract COVID-19.
He was arrested by the Khar police under the Arms Act in August 2015, which led to discovery of a new element in the murder case wherein he had acted as an eyewitness to the crime. On May 11, 2016, Mr. Rai, main accused Indrani Mukerjea’s driver and co-accused in the case, had sought pardon from the court and pleaded to be made an approver in the case.
He had in his statement first to the Khar police and later to the CBI revealed everything that transpired on April 24 and 25, 2012, when Sheena was murdered, and her body was dumped and burnt in Raigad, 120km south of Mumbai.
He had told investigators that Ms. Mukerjea had conducted a reconnaissance to dump Sheena’s body in Raigad district on April 23, 2012, and had returned to book a room for her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna, also an accused in the case, at Hotel Hilltop in Worli.
Mr. Rai had recorded his confessional statements under Section 164 (recording of confessions and statements before a magistrate) of the Code of Criminal Procedure on November 16, 2016, which revealed how Ms. Mukerjea and he had done a Skype call to plan the killing of not only Sheena but also her brother Mekhail. His statements minutely described the day Sheena was murdered and what role Mr. Khanna did play in the end result.
