A day after gory details of Sheena Bora murder case were revealed by police in court, her biological father on Tuesday came out in the open for the first time while skeletal remains purportedly of the 24-year-old unearthed in Raigad were sent to Forensic Science Laboratory in Mumbai.
"There was no overdose, nor any poison. Her condition could have worsened as she had briefly stopped taking medicines and was suffering from weakness," said Inspector General of Prisons Bipin Kumar Singh.
CBI's Special Crime Branch lodged a case in the designated court against Indrani, her former husband and Sanjay Khanna and former driver Shyamvar Pinturam Rai.
Former Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria has claimed his successor Ahmed Javed knew Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani and Peter Mukerjea socially, and that Peter also knew the then joint commissioner of police (law and order) Deven Bharti on "first name terms". Maria, who investigated some high-profile cases like the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and also headed the probe in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, made the revelation in his memoir Let Me Say It Now released on Monday.
The night before Sheena was allegedly killed, 'Indrani Madam instructed me to not send anyone up to her flat.' 'She told me to especially not allow Rahul Mukerjea.'
Caught in a web of half truths, the Sheena Bora murder case continues to baffle investigators. Here are the top developments of the day.
Speaking to ANI, Khan said, "I have been informed by my client Indrani Mukherjea (mother and prime accused in this murder case) that a lady officer (inmate) has informed her that she met Sheena Bora on June 24 near Dal Lake."
'I returned to jail at 4.45. I was body searched and sent back to my cell.' 'A bowl of dal was kept there covered.' 'Another guard gave me a tablet and I became unconscious.' Accused One spoke about a similar incident happening to her in October 2015 and also with a bowl of dal.
As Peter sits outside the court with his sister, Indrani walks in with a request. It has been three months since Peter has started speaking to Indrani again, after a long silence of two years.
The living will do anything to save their lives. The dead can't defend themselves. Will Sheena Bora's good name survive her murder trial?
Each time they held the leafy bedsheet over the window for a few seconds, a clearer but very grey visage of Indrani came into view. In the barely discernible image, Indrani seemed to look tired and downbeat. But then the bedsheet would be taken away and Indrani would disappear into the darkness once more.
So concluded a day in court that saw a woman accused of murder don a fresh role of heroine of the moment. Even Bollywood couldn't have come up with such a curious twist.
"The next 48 hours will be critical for her," J J Hospital Dean Dr T P Lahane told reporters on Saturday when asked if she is out of danger.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday told a special court in Mumbai that Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case, and her husband former media baron Peter Mukerjea were unhappy with the relationship between her daughter Sheena and Peter's son Rahul.
'When the forensics have collapsed, approver is clearly proved to be a liar from the beginning to the end... Does the prosecution genuinely believe that we ought to remain in judicial custody despite showing that their own story is not being corroborated by evidence, for another 192 witnesses?'
Accused No 1 announced that there had been a change in the circumstances of her health condition. She produced a thick 19-page document, written in her neat, very feminine handwriting, detailing her condition, its symptoms and the consequences it could have on her health and well-being.
'Sheena was helpful and generous, kind and respectful of her elders,' an employee at the Disneyland High School in Guwahati, where she studied from nursery to Class 10, told Indrani Roy/Rediff.com
Indrani looked cheerful and upbeat and announced she had quite recovered from her wounds...
A special court on Tuesday opened the statement of 'secret witness' Ravina Raj Kohli, former president of Star News, from a sealed cover and handed it over to the defence lawyers.
CBI sources said that agency teams swooped down at the residences of Peter and Indrani, two each in Mumbai and Goa, Indrani's ancestral home in Guwahati, her driver Shyamvar Pinturam Rai's houses in Mumbai and Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, and the residence of Sanjeev Khanna in Kolkata.
The judge said he went through the case diaries and there were certain facts which he couldn't disclose to the defence. On the basis of those facts, Mukerjea was not granted a bail.
The car in which Sheena Bora was allegedly killed was on Saturday traced while questions cropped up of a cover-up by police in not registering a case of murder or accidental death 3 years ago when a partially-burnt body believed to be hers was found.
Indrani's words were quick, her hand gestures quicker. She kept pointing to certain paragraphs in their consent terms.
At the prison, both Ranjan and Manglik's cell phones were pressed into service by the CBI. Why the CBI didn't bring its own equipment seems a mystery... Ranjan's cell handset was given to Indrani and Manglik dialed it. Indrani then spoke and her speech, that emanated from the phone, via speaker mode, was recorded.
Indrani also claimed that she was threatened of sexual assault after the death of a convict sparked protest in the prison.
Indrani is clearly in charge in her little corner. She is speaking rapidly to a not-very-tall, pot-bellied, balding man, whom she repeatedly, decisively, asks, "Have you understood?" The tone is that of a boss talking to an employee. The words "cheque" and "two lakhs" float by.
The spotlight had fallen on Maria and his crack team after the CBI arrested media baron Peter Mukherjea last year. There were allegations that Maria had not probed the property angle in the case and not quizzed Mukherjea.
Sources said Mukerjea was arrested for 'shielding the accused' and 'inconsistencies' in his statements
When a trial for a murder is going on -- with no end in sight -- more than ten years after the crime took place, it will not feel like the murder happened yesterday.
Indi Media had bought NewsX in January from INX News, reportedly for Rs 50 crore. INX was promoted by ex-Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea and his wife, Indrani Mukerjea, both of whom quit the company with the sale. Indi Media is said to be owned by a clutch of investors led by Vinay Chhajlani, CEO of Webdunia.com India, and promoter of the Hindi daily, Nai Duniya, and by Jehangir S Pocha, former editor of the weekly, Business World.
'It is perhaps kind of easy to see why Peter and the police clash.' 'The obvious air of entitlement that emanates from him, maybe unknowingly, probably gets the goat of the policemen.'
'When Vidhie was born, Indrani doted on her and was everything one could ask for in a mother and a wife. Then one fine morning, we heard that she had dumped Sanju and left for Mumbai.' 'It's possible for a scheming person like Indrani to squeeze out a 'favour' from her ex-husband using their daughter as bait.'
Vaihayasi Pande Daniel reports from the Sheena Bora murder trial.
Indrani Mukerjea is the founder and the newly-appointed CEO of INX Media. She also heads INX News. The youngest woman to head a media group in the world, Indrani Mukerjea spoke to Sayantani Kar on INX's bouquet of channels that will be launched in the next one-and-a-half years.
What Indrani doesn't know is that even if she is handed down a sentence of not guilty by the judge at the end of the long and meandering Sheena Bora murder trial, for India's legion of armchair judges, she will always be guilty. She won't be able to change that. Ever.
Clusters of policemen and television journalists alertly anticipated the arrival of Mumbai's joint commissioner of police, who, it was confirmed by most people I asked, does not visit court often. No one could remember when they had last heard of Deven Bharti appearing as a witness in a murder trial.
Indrani was cheering Pasbola on from the back, with little, happy whoops, that she muffled with her chunni. Indrani was in her element on Friday. The defence's cross-examination was clearly going her way and Indrani was delighted.
Indrani kept Peter informed on phone about the selection of spot for disposing her body and recce conducted for the same.
Peter was flown to Delhi at around 8 pm after the agency secured extension of his custody from a Mumbai court till November 30.
'There is a communication between Rahul Mukerjea and Sheena Bora.' 'First on the 26th. And then on the 27th and then on the 28th.' 'See the messages wherein Rahul Mukerjea tells Sheena Bora "Baba I am in the car park. Come".' 'And Sheena Bora replies to Rahul Mukerjea: "Five min bas".' 'This explains why none of the bodies matched Sheena Bora...'
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