Sheena Bora murder: Special court in Mumbai reserves order on Peter Mukerjea’s bail plea

The special court on Tuesday reserved the order on the bail plea of Peter Mukerjea, one of the accused in the 2012 Sheena Bora murder case.

Peter had recently been operated on, at a private hospital after suffering a heart attack. While arguing for the bail plea, Peter’s lawyer, Shrikant Shivde, alleged that the authorities at Arthur Road Jail, where Peter is currently lodged, were negligent, as they took the accused to the hospital 10 days after he began complaining of chest pain. Shivde further pointed out that when Mukerjea’s situation worsened, the authorities called a doctor to the jail instead of rushing him to the hospital and that there was a 45-minute delay to take him to Sir JJ Hospital.

Shivde contended that to recuperate from the surgery, Peter needs to be in a peaceful atmosphere and hygienic conditions and that he cannot get such an atmosphere in the jail.

The prosecution, however, opposed the bail plea claiming that the contention of the defence lawyer is false. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) prosecutor Kavita Patil argued that the Arthur Road Jail is well-equipped with facilities and that the accused was provided with timely treatment. The prosecution also suggested that Mukerjea can be taken to Sir JJ Hospital for further treatment.

After hearing arguments by the prosecution and the defence, the court reserved the order on Mukerjea’s bail plea.

Meanwhile, Mukerjea’s estranged wife and Bora’s mother, Indrani, who is also an accused in the case, requested the court for ‘closed door’ proceedings, without any journalist’s presence. The judge then asked everyone else apart from the prosecution lawyer to move out of the court, until Indrani completed her submission. She was later taken to the Byculla women’s prison. Sources told HT that after Mukerjea’s lawyer moved a bail plea on health grounds, Indrani has also been contemplating filing a fourth bail plea on the same grounds.

Mukerjea and Indrani were arrested in 2015 for their alleged involvement in Bora’s murder.