Influential people suppressed Sheena Bora murder for three years: Rakesh Maria

Known for his investigation skills, Maria retires on Wednesday after 36 years of service in Maharashtra Police

In a startling disclosure a day before he retires from the police force, IPS officer Rakesh Maria on Tuesday said “influential and wealthy people” suppressed the Sheena Bora murder — in which her mother Indrani Mukerjea and former media baron Peter Mukerjea are among those arrested — for three years.

Known for his investigation skills, Rakesh Maria retires on Wednesday after 36 years of service in Maharashtra Police. (HT FILE)

“The Sheena Bora murder was kept under wraps by influential and wealthy people for three years,” said Maria, Director General and Commandant of Home Guards. He, however, did not name these “influential and wealthy people”.

Maria also lamented that cops who investigated the sensational murder case, which hogged national limelight for a long time, did not get the due credit.

“I feel bad for the team which remained unrecognised and did not get credit for the detection and a good job done by them,” Maria said. The case was later transferred to CBI.

Known for his investigation skills, Maria, who rose to fame with the cracking of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, and who also probed the 26/11 terror attacks, retires on Wednesday after 36 years of service in Maharashtra Police.

He was transferred in September 2015, days before his tenure as Mumbai Police Commissioner was to end, amid reports that BJP-led government was not happy that he took ‘undue’ interest in the investigation of Sheena Bora murder case.

“This was among the best detections in recent years. I was involved in this case because of my weakness for good investigations and interrogation,” he said.

“After the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, it also followed our line of investigation. They investigated the case in the same manner in which we did,” the senior officer said.

Maria, who also headed the state Anti-Terrorist Squad and Crime Branch of Mumbai Police, credited his team for their contribution in cracking several prominent cases and also his seniors for trusting his investigation skills.

“It was my team in the crime branch which busted the Indian Mujahideen terror module, at a time when not many knew about its existence,” Maria said.

The 1981 batch IPS officer said after hanging his boots, he planned to pen a memoir.