Indrani Mukerjea told: Don’t take food from strangers

A special CBI judge on Wednesday asked Indrani Mukerjea, an accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, not to have food from any stranger or outside the jail, as she is suspected of having overdosed on a drug recently.

Mukerjea was produced before the special CBI court on Wednesday, the first time after her hospitalisation.(HT)

Mukerjea fell unconscious in jail on April 6. While the chemical analysis report by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina ruled out drug overdose and said it could be some other medical ailment, a screening test carried out at PD Hinduja hospital found significantly high level of an anti-depressant, benzodiazepine, in her urine samples.

Mukerjea was produced before the special CBI court on Wednesday, the first time after her hospitalisation. The court was scheduled to record deposition of her secretary Kajal Sharma.

Special judge JC Jagdale warned Indrani against taking food from outsiders, as the jail authorities suspect she was given food by someone in the court corridor. “Henceforth, don’t accept any food from any outsider. You can have food in jail and come to court. Further, if you require anything in court, you have to take the permission of the court and make arrangements.”

The court also informed the lawyers that prison authorities have sent a confidential communication about safety issues for Mukerjea and other accused in the case. The judge said escorts should be more cautious and strict in the case.

Meanwhile, Sharma deposed against Mukerjea. Mukerjea allegedly communicated instructions to driver Shyamwar Rai through Sharma. Also, Sharma allegedly helped Rai and Mukerjea speak through a video-calling app.

According to the prosecution, Sheena was killed on April 24, 2012, by Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamwar Rai, who is now a prosecution witness and approver in the case.

In her deposition, Sharma admitted that she had opened an account for the video calling application and trained Rai to use it, on the instructions of Mukerjea. According to the CBI, after killing Sheena, Mukerjea asked Sharma to forge Sheena’s signature on various documents. Sharma said, “I received three mails from Indrani. Two mails had Sheena Bora’s resignation letters and other mail had a big scanned signature of Sheena. She asked me to practice the signature. I refused initially.”

Sharma told the court that Mukerjea convinced her later. “Mukerjea said Sheena was in the US and she doesn’t have access to internet. She has no other way of communication. Mukerjea told me to copy the signature and practise it. She kept saying it was urgent and I had no option, but to obey her,” Sharma told the court.

Sharma said, on Mukerjea’s instructions, she signed the resignation letter and sent it through a courier company in Andheri as that shop did not have a CCTV camera.

Sharma said Mukerjea also asked her to sign a cancellation of leave and licence agreement in the name of Sheena Bora. Sharma further said in June or July 2012, Mukerjea asked Sharma to create an email address for Sheena. She said she did not know how Mukerjea used the email ID.