E-Paper
Rahul hit a pregnant woman in 2010, cops bribed ₹10 L to not register FIR: Indrani Mukerjea
Mumbai: Police officers were paid ₹10 lakhs to ensure that no FIR was registered against Rahul Mukerjea after his bike dashed into a pregnant woman and she lost her child, his step-mother and ex-wife of former media baron Peter Mukerjea, Indrani Mukerjea claimed before a special CBI court on Monday
Mumbai: Police officers were paid ₹10 lakhs to ensure that no FIR was registered against Rahul Mukerjea after his bike dashed into a pregnant woman and she lost her child, his step-mother and ex-wife of former media baron Peter Mukerjea, Indrani Mukerjea claimed before a special CBI court on Monday. Rahul, however, denied the allegation made during the course of his cross-examination in Sheena Bora murder case in which both his father Peter Mukerjea and Indrani are accused.
Indrani’s lawyer Ranjeet Sangle on Monday began cross examining Rahul Mukerjea, a prosecution witness in Sheena Bora murder case.
Sangle questioned Rahul about the accident, which allegedly took place in 2010, leading to the woman losing her child two days later. Rahul, however, claimed that it was a minor accident.
Sangle alleged that “after the accident no FIR was registered as one Sohail Budhdha had paid the cops ₹10 lakhs to not register a case.” Rahul, however, feigned ignorance about the transaction.
“ ₹10 lakh is an awful lot of money. One could buy a new (super) bike,” he said. “I was approaching a signal when the lady was crossing and I managed to pull the brakes before it could impact the lady. But the lady raised much hue and cry and cops came and took away my bike and wouldn’t return it. Therefore, I informed my father, who got in touch with the cops,” he added.
Rahul said he did not know what happened next.
During the course of cross-examination, Indrani’s lawyer also questioned Rahul about past cases registered against him, especially those registered in England when he was minor. Sangle also questioned Rahul on his relationship with Sheena.
When the lawyer asked, “if you ever had hesitation -- morally or ethically -- about the relations with Sheena, since she was Indrani’s daughter and by that relation your step-sister,” Rahul replied: “Yes at a point I thought it was unconventional but we both continued as we thought we were not blood relatives and were consenting adults, so could decide for ourselves.”
Rahul however refused to respond to Sangle’s further probe about his intimacy with Sheena.
Indrani and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna were arrested in August 2015, along with Indrani’s driver, Shamvar Rai, for allegedly killing their daughter, Sheena, in April 2012 and disposing the body in a forest near Gagode village in Raigad district.
The prosecution averred that Indrani and Peter – who was arrested in November 2015 -- allegedly lied to Rahul, Peter’s son, who was in a relationship with Sheena, that Sheena had left the country. It also came to light that Indrani had allegedly lied to her family that Sheena was her sister, and not daughter.
