Mumbai: A Mumbai Metropolitan court on Monday extended until Saturday (September 50 the police custody of all three arrested accused in the Sheena Bora murder case to enable investigators dig deeper into the sordid saga.
Before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S.M. Chandgade extended the remand of the accused — Indrani, Sheena’s mother and wife of former Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyam Rai — police slapped the additional charge of attempt to murder for allegedly plotting to kill Sheena’s brother Mikhail.
All three were produced before the metropolitan court shortly before 3 pm amid tight security.
Police also told the court they want to recover Khanna’s passport.
Section 328 IPC (causing hurt by poison) has also been slapped against Indrani after Mikhail claimed she had spiked his drink on the fateful day when Sheena was killed.
The magistrate rejected the contention of defence lawyers Gunjan Mangla and Hrishikesh Mundergi, appearing for Indrani and Khanna, that since the two have been in police custody for sufficient time it should not be extended any further.
Police suspect some more people outside the state might have been involved in the murder and said efforts were on to establish the financial trail in the case.
Communication between Khanna and Indrani was through online means, police said, adding they want to trace Sheena’s mobile and clothes.
Police also moved an application, contending that the accused should not be allowed to consume home food during their custody as it could be laced with poison, but the court rejected it.
Guwahati-based Mikhail, Indrani’s son with her first husband Sidharth Das, had earlier told police she had tried to kill him thrice in the past.
Mikhail had also alleged that just hours before Sheena was taken out by their mother and Khanna on April 24, Indrani drugged him but he managed to escape from the spot and averted becoming the second murder victim.
The sensational murder case had taken a fresh turn on Monday when police seized a suitcase from the residential premises of Indrani and Peter Mukerjea in Mumbai’s Worli area. The suitcase was purportedly to be used to stuff Mikhail into it after killing him.
Police had on Sunday taken Khanna and Indrani’s driver Shyam Rai to the forest in Raigad district where Sheena’s body was allegedly dumped, to ‘recreate’ the crime scene.
During interrogation here on Saturday, Indrani and Sanjeev had blamed each other for the crime.
Indrani accused Khanna of committing the murder and dragging her into the crime. However, he said he only assisted Indrani as she had promised to help him financially.
