CBI submits fresh list of 69 witnesses in Sheena Bora murder trial | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday submitted a fresh list of 69 witnesses to be examined in the Sheena Bora murder case. The list names Peter Mukerjea’s former wife and a close friend of the victim.

Sheena Bora, 24, was murdered in April 2012, allegedly strangled inside a car by her mother, Indrani Mukerjea, with the assistance of her former husband, Sanjeev Khanna, and then driver, Shyamvar Rai. Her body was reportedly burnt and disposed of in a forest near Pen in Raigad district.

The crime came to light in 2015 when Rai, arrested in another case, confessed his involvement in the murder. Following his revelation, Indrani Mukerjea and Sanjeev Khanna were arrested in August 2015, while Peter Mukerjea, a former media magnate and then husband of Indrani, was taken into custody three months later.

In the chargesheet filed in November 2015, the CBI had stated that Indrani was unhappy with Sheena’s relationship with Rahul, Peter’s son from his first marriage, and feared that the relationship could lead to property dispute. In the second chargesheet filed in October 2016, the CBI revealed that Indrani had kept Peter informed over phone about the place where they would dump Sheena’s body.

Sheena’s friend Sanjana Phukan Raktim is an important name on the witnesses list, as email exchanges between them reveal details of the purported harassment faced by Sheena from her mother, Indrani.

Raktim is believed to be the person who called the Mumbai police soon after news of Sheena’s death broke and informed them that Sheena was not Indrani’s sister – as Indrani had claimed in public – but her daughter. According to Raktim, she and Sheena stayed in touch via phone calls, text messages and emails after they left school. She said Sheena confided in her often, especially when she was being harassed by Indrani.

The fresh witness list also contains the name of the investigating officer – KK Singh of the CBI, Delhi, and the other police officers attached to the Khar police station – who handled the investigation before it was transferred to the special crime branch of the CBI.

Meanwhile, the prosecution on Tuesday completed the examination-in-chief of a nodal officer, who used to provide information relating to Airtel to all law-enforcement agencies. He was examined in connection with the CDR (Call Detail Records) pertaining to Rahul Mukerjea, who was in a relationship with Sheena Bora.

The defence objected to the exhibits being shown on the ground that the CBI had not certified them under Section 65-B of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The court allowed the objection, and the witness will be cross-examined by the defence on the next date.