Sheena Bora murder case: CBI court refuses to exempt Indrani Mukerjea from wearing jail uniform sari

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday rejected an application filed by Indrani Mukerjea, seeking exemption from wearing the green saree – a uniform for women prisoners across Maharashtra

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday rejected an application filed by Indrani Mukerjea, seeking exemption from wearing the green saree – a uniform for women prisoners across Maharashtra.

Indrani Mukerjea is one of the accused in the Sheena Bora murder case. (HT Photo)

Mukerjea has been lodged at Byculla jail since her arrest in August 2015, in the Sheena Bora murder case.

On December 22, 2020, Mukerjea’s lawyer Gunjan Mangla had approached the special CBI court with a plea that Mukerjea be permitted to wear regular clothes. Earlier this month, the authorities at Byculla jail submitted a reply to Mukerjea’s plea, stating that as per the rules, undertrial persons booked in a murder case fall under the category of prisoners, and have to wear the jail uniform.

Mangla opposed this and argued that there is no specified rule as to what uniform should be worn. “Indrani suffers from mental health issues since her arrest. If she is asked to wear the prison uniform, it would affect her further. Besides, undertrial prisoners are allowed to wear their regular clothes,” she argued.

Mangala also questioned why after almost five years, was Mukerjea being forced to wear the prison uniform.

The court, however, rejected Mukerjea’s contention and refused to grant her any relief.

Sheena Bora, 24, was allegedly strangled in a car by Mukerjea, her then driver Shyamvar Rai and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, on April 2012. Her body was later burnt in a forest in neighbouring Raigad district.