Former media baron Peter Mukerjea was accused of the murder of his step-daughter Sheena Bora, criminal conspiracy and working to destroy evidence in the case in a supplementary chargesheet filed by CBI on Tuesday . The chargesheet was filed just 2 days before the 90-day deadline.
Peter’s wife Indrani has been accused of murdering Sheena, a daughter she had from her first relationship, with help from ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna (not Sheena’s father) and her driver Shyamvar Rai in April 2012 and disposing of the body in the ravines of Raigad.
The CBI alleged that Peter was actively involved in the murder conspiracy . Both Peter and Indrani were unhappy with Sheena since she entered into a relationship with Rahul Mukerjea, Peter’s son from an earlier marriage, in 2009. This was one of the main reasons for the killing. In the 500-odd pages of the chargesheet, handed over to Peter in the presence of his advocate Kushal Mor, the CBI has mentioned an email Rahul wrote to Peter on April 13, 2011, almost a year before the murder, saying he and Sheena feared for their lives.The CBI also handed over to the special court the statement of a “key witness” in a sealed envelope to conceal his identity citing safety.
In the email, Rahul wrote: “There is threat to our lives (Sheena and him) by Indrani. We documented every fact, communication, messages and other details. We have given it to a third party for safekeeping. If anything happens to me or her, authority in India and UK will be made aware of the details.”
The chargesheet came barely two days before the stipulated 90 days since Peter’s arrest last November. Included in the document are the additional statements of witnesses Rahul and Deven Bharati, joint commissioner of police, recorded soon after Peter’s arrest last November.Peter had approached Bharati soon after Sheena’s murder, saying she was missing, but came back the next day to say she was fine in the US.
Another witness whose statement is attached is that of a family friend of the Mukerjeas, Prithul Sanghvi. Sanghvi told the CBI that in a conversation, they had said that the Sheena-Rahul relationship was not correct. Another supplementary chargesheet could be filed later, including the negligence of the Raigad police after they first recovered Sheena’s remains in May 2012 but did not follow up.
The CBI claimed Peter had repeatedly misled Rahul about Sheena’s disappear ance. In a mail dated May 27, 2012, Peter told Rahul: “I maintain my original position that Sheena is fine. If somebody asks you tell them to speak to Indrani.” Also attached are two emails sent by Sheena to her friend in August 2009 in which she claimed that Indrani had tried to get her to lose her job. She had used abusive language against Indrani.
The chargesheet highlighted a comparison of the money Indrani had allotted to her daughters, Sheena and Vidhie, on different occasions. Sheena is a daughter from Indrani’s first relationship, while Indrani and her second husband and co-accused Sanjeev Khanna had Vidhie, who was adopted later by Peter. It said Indrani had forged signatures and sold a Delhi property that was in Sheena’s name.
The other highlight is the call records of Indrani, Peter, Khanna and Rai. It shows that amonth before the murder, Indrani started making frequent call to Khanna and Rai.Peter also spoke to Rai before the killing, which indicated his active involvement in the conspiracy , said an officer. Peter also had long conversations with Indrani just before and after the murder -for 22 minutes at about 12.26pm and for four minutes at 1.36pm.Sheena was strangled to death in the evening. Messages were also exchanged between the couple in the afternoon preceding the murder.Indrani used Sheena’s phone to SMS herself and Peter to avoid any suspicion. After the disposal of the body , Indrani spoke to Peter for around 15 minutes.
The chargesheet does not mention anything about Sheena’s bank accounts in Singapore as the details are still awaited.