The Mumbai Police have written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to look into the financial dealings of the former INX CEO Indrani Mukherjea and her husband, Peter Mukherjea, and ascertain if the couple had laundered money or violated foreign exchange norms.
Investigators of the > Sheena Bora murder case, in which Indrani, mother of the victim, is an accused, suspect that money could be the motive behind the murder and are scrutinising the financial dealings of the Mukherjeas to establish the trail.
In what turned out to be his last press briefing as Mumbai Police Commissioner, > Rakesh Maria on Monday said investigators would write to other agencies to look into these transactions. Another senior police officer confirmed that a letter to the ED was sent the same day.
ED sources said the agency had received a communication from the police and the documents received from them were being studied to check whether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) or the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) applied in this case.
On the documents shared by the police, ED sources said they included financial details of a media company floated by the Mukherjeas and the money received when they made an exit, besides some documents pertaining to personal finance. They, however, did not disclose whether they were considering registering an Enforcement Case Information Report at this stage.
Sources said that despite the Maharashtra government’s announcement that Mr. Maria would supervise the >Sheena Bora case, the new Director-General (Home Guards) was reluctant to do so. He is reportedly miffed at the “abrupt” manner in which the decision to promote him — effectively ending his tenure as Mumbai Police Commissioner and his association with the case — was taken.
Though the State government made an announcement in the media, no written order was sent to Mr. Maria till Wednesday evening. He also put to rest speculation about his resignation in protest against the decision.
