The Bombay High Court has overturned a previous order allowing Indrani Mukerjea to travel to Spain and the U.K. A single bench judge, Justice Shyam Chandak, denied her request based on a plea from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Mukerjea stands accused of murdering her daughter, Sheena Bora, and aimed to travel abroad for financial matters, including paying property taxes and updating bank accounts.
The CBI challenged the special court’s ruling, citing Mukerjea’s serious charges and the risk of her fleeing the country. Justice Chandak stated, “The petition is allowed. The impugned order is set aside.” Previously, a special CBI court had permitted Mukerjea to travel once to Europe for ten days over the course of three months.
Justice Chandak clarified that if Mukerjea needed to handle her affairs from India, the relevant authorities should assist her, emphasizing that the court had not commented on the case’s merits but deemed the special court’s order unreasonable.
The special court had initially imposed conditions on Mukerjea’s travel, including requirements to check in at the Indian Embassy and provide a security deposit of ₹2 lakh.
Background on Sheena Bora Murder Case
Indrani Mukerjea was arrested in August 2015 following revelations surrounding Sheena Bora’s murder. She secured bail in May 2022 from the Supreme Court. Bora, just 24 at the time of her death, was reportedly strangled by Mukerjea, her driver Shyamvar Rai, and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012 in Mumbai. Her remains were subsequently incinerated in a forest in Raigad district.
The crime was uncovered in 2015 when Rai divulged details during police interrogation related to a separate case. Mukerjea’s ex-husband, Peter Mukerjea, has also been implicated in the conspiracy behind Bora’s murder. Currently, all accused individuals are out on bail as the CBI continues its investigation into the case.
Published – September 27, 2024 02:13 pm IST
