Sheena Bora murder case: Prosecution declares their panch witness hostile | Mumbai news
MUMBAI: The prosecution in the Sheena Bora murder case last week declared a panch witness hostile and later cross-examined the catering employee, who had been called in by the Khar police to be a witness to a memorandum recorded by them in 2015.
The prosecution declared him hostile after he told the court that he did not remember the details of the places he had gone to, along with key accused Indrani Mukherjea, one more panch, and officials from the Khar police station. He told the court he did not remember where they went or exactly what happened.
During cross-examination by public prosecutor CJ Nandode, the witness told the court they went to the Bandra-Worli sea link, based on Indrani’s directions, after which they went to an AM Motors shop in Mahalaxmi. He recollected that the person in the motor shop knew Mukherjea as she had rented a vehicle from him seven times, between 2010 and 2013.
They went to a sari shop, where the owner identified Mukherjea as a buyer, the panch witness added.
A panch witness is a civilian witness, often a local resident, who is present during police actions such as searches or seizures, to ensure transparency and credibility.
After the sari shop, the witness said, they visited a liquor store and a medical store, but he did not recall their names or what happened there. He had no recollection of Mukherjea saying she bought gloves from the latter, he said.
During cross-examination by Mukherjea’s advocate, Ranjit Sangle, the witness told the court he did not remember whether Mukherjea’s face was covered during the panchnama, as required by the law. He added that he did not depose before the court under pressure from the police or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Mukherjea is on trial for allegedly drugging and then murdering Sheena Bora, 24, in 2012, with the assistance of Sanjeev Khanna and Shyamvar Rai. The crime came to light in 2015, when Rai, arrested in an unrelated case, confessed his involvement.
In its chargesheet, the CBI has alleged that, on the day of the murder, Mukherjea went to a chemist shop and a wine shop, as part of the conspiracy to murder Bora.
