Peter Mukherjea booked over Sheena Bora murder

Mumbai: A Mumbai Magistrate’s Court on Friday sent former media executive Peter Mukherjea to the custody of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after he was charged with conspiracy to murder Sheena Bora, the daughter of his wife and prime accused Indrani Mukherjea.

Indrani — Bora’s biological mother — along with Indrani’s former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyam Rai, were booked for the murder of the 24-year-old woman.

The CBI told the court that Peter knew of the murder plot and had played an active role in it. The CBI maintained he was in continuous conversation with Indrani before, during and after the murder of Bora on April 24, 2012.

On Thursday, the CBI arrested Peter, hours after it filed a chargesheet against Indrani, Khanna and Rai — who are the accused in the crime. The court transferred the Sheena Bora murder case to the Sessions Court for trial and directed all three accused to appear there on December 3.

Meanwhile, the CBI had sought 14-day custody of Peter though the court gave only four days time for custodial interrogation.

The CBI told the court that Peter had misled his son Rahul, from his first marriage, about the whereabouts of Bora but Rahul had recorded the conversation.

Rahul and Bora were in a serious relationship and were engaged in 2011 in Dehradun but Indrani was unhappy about their relationship and had complained to her husband about it. On the day Bora was picked by Indrani and Khanna, Rahul said he had dropped her at a place in Mumbai but thereafter he could not get in touch with her. Even though a complaint was filed at Khar police station days later, the police did not take it up seriously.

Bora was picked up her mother, given a drink laced with a drug and allegedly strangulated by Khanna.

The body, kept in the boot of the car parked in the garage of their Worli home in the night, was taken to Pen in Raigad, some 100km from Mumbai the next day, burnt and dumped in a wooded area.

The police had to seek the help of forensic experts to confirm that the remains found in Raigad forest were that of Bora.

Later, when Rahul asked his father about Bora, the CBI told the court that Peter said she was fine and that he had spoken to her even though he knew she was dead. Peter’s lawyer however argued that he was only trying pacify him.

The CBI has also said that Peter was in constant touch with Indrani during the time of the murder. “He was abroad but telephone conversations during the two-three days around the crime lasted 20-25 minutes,” the CBI said.

Rahul is apparently shocked that his recording of the conversation with his father has led to his arrest. It is now left for the investigative agency to find the motive behind Peter’s involvement.