Indrani, Peter chargesheeted; divorce on cards

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, January 17

Indrani Mukerjea, who is accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, today told a special CBI court that she wanted to divorce her husband and co-accused Peter Mukerjea.

Indrani sought the permission of Judge HS Mahajan of the Special CBI court shortly after the investigating agency presented its chargesheet in the murder case. However, the court informed her that Indrani did not require its permission since it was her personal matter.

Earlier in the day, the special CBI court framed charges, including criminal conspiracy, murder, destruction of evidence and forgery of documents, against the Mukerjeas and Indrani’s ex-husband and co-accused Sanjeev Khanna. The three were also charged with attempting to murder her son, Mikhail Bora. The three pleaded not guilty to the charges.

As per the chargesheet, the Mukerjea couple and Khanna murdered Sheena, Indrani’s daughter from an earlier relationship, on the night of April 24, 2012. The chargesheet also added that the Mukerjeas were upset at Sheena for getting engaged to Peter’s son, Rahul Mukerjea.

The Mukerjeas’ driver, Shyamvar Rai, who was also an accused in the case, has now turned approver. Sheena’s half-burnt body was discovered from a forest in Raigad district outside Mumbai in August 2015.

According to the chargesheet, the crime came to light when Rai was arrested on August 21, 2015, following the seizure of a 7.63-bore pistol from him. He confessed to the police about the murder after which Indrani and Khanna were arrested. The Maharashtra government handed over the case to the CBI on September 2015 after which Peter was arrested. The special CBI court has kept the matter for trial from February 1.