Despite traces of cocaine being found in a urine sample of Indrani Mukherjea tested at a private hospital, a formal inquiry ordered by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday concluded that she did not suffer from drug overdose or poisoning, and ruled out any possibility of sabotage or a suicide attempt.
“Our inquiry has concluded that there was no drug overdose or poisoning. There is no evidence of any foul play, sabotage or conspiracy. There is no evidence of an attempt to commit suicide either,” Special Inspector General of Police (Prisons) Bipin Kumar Singh, who was heading the probe ordered by Mr. Fadnavis after Ms. Mukherjea, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, collapsed at the Byculla women’s jail on October 2, and admitted to the critical care unit of the JJ Hospital. The probe also concluded that Ms. Mukherjea had completed the course of anti-depressants prescribed to her by a JJ Hospital psychiatrist from September 11 to 26, and was suffering from weakness after her blood sugar count had dipped, causing her to collapse on October 2 morning in her prison cell.
After her admission in the hospital, doctors suspected a drug overdose, and treated her in line with this assessment. Her gastric lavage and urine samples were sent to the Kalina forensic laboratory and the Hinduja hospital. Both facilities had submitted contradictory reports.
While the forensic lab report said the gastric lavage was negative for drug overdose, the urine sample at Hinduja hospital had shown levels of Benzodiazepine, a known anti-anxiety drug, at 2088 compared to the normal count of 200.
