Indrani Mukerjea moves SC for permission to travel to Spain, UK

The CBI has opposed her plea to travel abroad, saying she was a flight risk and might evade trial if permitted to leave the country

MUMBAI: Indrani Mukerjea, who is accused of killing her daughter Sheena Bora in 2012 and is currently out on bail, on Monday approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Bombay high court’s order setting aside a special court’s ruling allowing her to travel to Spain and the United Kingdom for 10 days for personal and administrative matters.

Mumbai: Former media executive Indrani Mukherjea leaves the Byculla Women's Jail after getting bail in the Sheena Bora murder case, in Mumbai, Friday, May 20, 2022. (PTI Photo) (PTI05_20_2022_000194B) (PTI)

In July, a special court for cases under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) permitted the former media executive to travel after she presented compelling reasons necessitating her presence abroad. These included activating dormant bank accounts in Spain and the UK, which require biometric authentication, updating her will in compliance with Spanish legal mandates, and addressing property-related matters. She highlighted the need for a digital certificate required under Spanish law, which can only be obtained in person.

However, the CBI challenged the decision in the Bombay high court, arguing that Mukerjea was a flight risk and might evade trial if permitted to leave the country. In September, the high court upheld the CBI’s objections, quashing the lower court’s permission order.

In her petition to the Supreme Court, moved through advocate Sana Raees Khan, Mukerjea strongly refuted these allegations, pointing to her “spotless” record of complying with judicial directions since her release on bail in May 2022.

The British citizen further emphasised that despite having her passport in her possession twice since her release, she voluntarily returned it to the court after completing her legal obligations. She also noted that she has attended every trial hearing over the last nine years, even as the CBI has made little progress in concluding the case, with only 97 out of 237 witnesses examined to date.

Mukherjea also contended that the restriction imposed by the high court undermines her fundamental right to travel. The 52-year-old argued that the high court failed to adequately consider the urgency of her situation and ignored key legal and factual submissions regarding her obligations in Spain. She further claimed that the CBI’s objections were speculative and unsupported by evidence.