Sheena murder: HC notice to CBI seeking response on Peter’s bail

Mukerjea had approached the high court after the sessions court rejected his bail plea on two previous occasions

The Bombay high court on Monday issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking its response on the bail plea filed by media baron Peter Mukerjea, an accused in the murder of his step-daughter Sheena Bora.

In his bail application, Peter Mukerjea has claimed there is no evidence against him and he has been kept in prolonged custody on mere suspicion (HT File Photo)

The court will now hear the matter on July 7.

Mukerjea had approached the high court after the sessions court rejected his bail plea on two previous occasions.

In his plea before the high court, Mukerjea challenged the lower court’s decision to refuse him bail on the ground that the CBI was still to complete its probe.

He has claimed the CBI has already filed a charge sheet in the case.

Mukerjea has also claimed there is no evidence against him and he has been kept in prolonged custody on mere suspicion. He said he had “no motive” to kill Sheena and that the CBI’s case against him was “false and baseless.” Mukerjea was arrested by the CBI in November last year.

On May 23 this year, the sessions rejected Mukerjea’s second bail plea, and refused to look into the evidence against him saying it would do so only at the stage of trial.

On April 24, 2012, Peter’s wife Indrani, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and the Mukerjeas’ driver Shyamwar Rai strangulated Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora, and later disposed her body in a thickly forested area in Gagode village of Raigad district, according to the Khar police.

The murder came to light after the arrest of driver Rai by the Khar police in an Arms Act case. Indrani was arrested on August 25 last year in the murder case, followed by Peter’s arrest a few months later.

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