Sheena Bora murder case: CBI includes Vidhie Mukerjea in its final list of 125 witnesses

Vidhie Mukerjea, Sheena’s half-sister, is considered a crucial witness, as she is believed to have insight into the tensions between Indrani, Sheena, and Rahul Mukerjea

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted its final list of 125 witnesses in the Sheena Bora murder case, including 26-year-old Vidhie Mukerjea, daughter of prime accused Indrani Mukerjea, 53, and her former husband, co-accused Sanjeev Khanna.

Sheena Bora murder case: CBI includes Vidhie Mukerjea in its final list of 125 witnesses

Vidhie Mukerjea, Sheena’s half-sister, is considered a crucial witness, as she is believed to have insight into the tensions between Indrani, Sheena, and Rahul Mukerjea.

The submission follows Indrani’s recent objections over Vidhie’s exclusion from the priority list of 69 witnesses submitted earlier this month. In response, Indrani’s lawyer, Ranjit Sangle, had urged the prosecution to clarify the complete list of witnesses to allow a holistic defence strategy.

On March 11, the CBI had initially filed a priority list of 69 witnesses, including Shabnam Singh (first wife of Peter Mukerjea) and Sheena’s close friend Sanjana Phukan Raktim. However, Vidhie’s absence from this list raised concerns. The agency had stated that additional witnesses would be examined if deemed necessary based on the testimonies of the priority witnesses. At the next hearing, an emotional Indrani sought confirmation from the court regarding whether Vidhie would be called to testify, citing her desire to meet her daughter.

During Thursday’s proceedings, the prosecution confirmed that Vidhie is among the witnesses and clarified that deceased individuals would be excluded from the list. “In compliance with the court’s order dated March 13, 2025, a final list of all remaining prosecution witnesses is being filed, who may be examined by the CBI,” the prosecution stated.

Apart from Vidhie, the final list includes Shivaji Kolekar, a friend of Shyamvar Rai—Indrani’s driver and accused-turned-approver—along with Sohail Buddha, a former assistant police inspector who served in the Mumbai Police for 22 years before joining Star TV when Peter Mukerjea was CEO, and several others.

Sheena Bora, 24, was allegedly strangled inside a car in April 2012 by Indrani Mukerjea, with the assistance of Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai. Her body was reportedly burnt and dumped in a forest in Raigad district. The crime came to light in 2015 when Rai, arrested in an unrelated case, confessed to his involvement in Sheena’s murder. (SEE TIMELINE) Following his confession, Indrani and Khanna were arrested in August 2015, and Peter Mukerjea was taken into custody three months later. All accused are currently out on bail, with Indrani barred from contacting witnesses in the case.

In its 2015 chargesheet, the CBI alleged that Indrani was opposed to Sheena’s relationship with Rahul Mukerjea, Peter’s son from a previous marriage, fearing a potential property dispute. A supplementary chargesheet filed in 2016 stated that Indrani had kept Peter informed over the phone about the location where Sheena’s body would be dumped.