Mumbai: The Sheena Bora murder case is unravelling at a scandal-a-minute pace. Sheena, the daughter of media bigwig Indrani Mukerjea from her first marriage to one Siddharth Das, was killed on April 23, 2012 and her body dumped in the forests of Raigadh.
Indrani is in custody on charges of murdering her daughter, along with trusted driver Shyamvar Rai and second husband Sanjeev Khanna — her accomplices. The three picked up Sheena that fateful day three years ago, strangled her in the car and dumped her body in a bag in the Raigad forests next day. They also partially burnt the bag and the adjoining area. The Pen police had found her body a month later but disposed of it without keeping records or even registering a murder case. Though they sent a sample of her DNA to Mumbai, they “forgot” to collect the result. This is why it took the Mumbai police, who had to largely rely on confessions, so long to join the dots. Whether the Pen police’s lackadaisal attitude will hamper investigations and possible outcome of the case, only time will tell.
The police, who kept a strict watch on Indrani for the last three months, arrested her and Rai on Tuesday. Sanjeev Khanna was picked up from Kolkata during lunch on Wednesday.
Here is the latest from this gruesome tale:
1. Co-accused Sanjeev Khanna, who was arressted on Wednesday, was taken today to court from Kolkata’s Alipore police station for questioning. The Mumbai Police asked for a 7-day transit remand. Sanjeev Khanna’s lawyer said Indrani was the main accused and that Sanjeev had no motive in killing Sheena. He said Sanjeev went to Mumbai in April to meet his daughter with Indrani, Vidhi. Vidhi stays with Indrani and her present husband Peter Mukerjea. Indrani did not allow him to meet Vidhi, he alleged.
2. In a shocking revelation, Indrani Mukerjea’s son and Sheena’s brother Mikhael Bora has told the media that this was the first time he had heard of Sanjeev Khanna’s name.
“This is the first time I have heard his name, and that too through the media,” said Mikhail Bora. “There is a property issue. Maybe I am the next target so that Indrani can get this house. By killing me and my grandparents they will get the property.”
Mikhail further added that he felt threatened.
“Whatever the Mumbai Police wants to ask me, they should ask me at my residence only,” Bora said, adding, “I can’t leave my grandparents alone here, I cannot risk their lives. If I go there, the police and the government have to provide full time nurse for them here,” he added.
Received break-up SMS from Sheena Bora’s phone, Rahul Mukerjea tells cops
3. Earlier, former Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea’s son Rahul, the step-brother and boyfriend of Sheena Bora, was questioned by the police in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Rahul has told police that he had received a text from Sheena Bora’s phone the night she disappeared, which said she wanted to break-up. He has also revealed that Indrani had asked him to “stop chasing Sheena” when he enquired about her disappearance.
Rahul was questioned for the second time on Thursday morning and has been taken to an undisclosed location. The relationship between Sheena and Rahul is being suspected by the police as the motive for the murder.
4. Sheena Bora’s friends from St Xaviers College told a newspaper that their classmate had told them she was not the sister but the daughter of Indrani Mukerjea. Sheena, her friends, said was inebriated at that time. Indrani, who took in Sheena in the early 2000s so that she could study in Mumbai, had passed Sheena and Mikhail off as her siblings.
5. A film-maker on condition of anonymity has said that Sheena wanted to pursue acting.
6. The cops have also said that driver Shyam Rai was given Rs 1 lakh to help bump off Sheena. He told police about the threats to his life in case he spilled the beans.
7. Indrani Mukerjea, a known foodie, was served tea at 9 am in the morning, followed by lunch at 1 pm of rice, dal and four chapatis, and the same for dinner. The police said she didn’t ask for special food nor would that request be entertained, the cops said.
