In a startling development, police here in Maharashtra on Saturday admitted that no case was registered by them after the remains suspected to be of Sheena Bora were found from the murder site in forests near Pen in 2012.
Raigad Superintendent of Police Mohammed Suvez Haque told media persons that he was conducting an inquiry into the lapse and other aspects.
Shockingly, however, he said that no crime offence, an accidental death report or a first information report (FIR) was lodged by the concerned police officials then.
On May 23, 2012, a local mango-seller had noticed a partially burnt human carcass and had informed the Pen police outpost.
A team of police officials and a doctor had visited the site and conducted a spot autopsy and collected samples of some portions of the body remnants.
"These were later sent to Sir J.J. Hospital in Mumbai for further analysis after a couple of days. Later, no report was received and no report was sought by police about that," Haque said.
Police had carried out a 'panchnama' (initial observation) of the body and the inquest at the murder site and recorded statements of witnesses and made a diary entry, but no other subsequent procedures were followed.
Haque said the inspector general of police (Konkan Range) had sought a report on these aspects which were submitted to him.
"I am now inquiring why police (then) did not lodge any offence or ADR (accidental death report) which shall be completed soon and submitted to the seniors," Haque said.
He said Mumbai police has officially sought help from Raigad police in investigating the case and they were fully cooperating in the matter.
They have also provided all original documents pertaining to the case to Mumbai police, he said.
The Sir J.J. Hospital authorities had handed over the samples of bones, nails and other evidence in its possession to Mumbai police on Friday which have been sent for DNA tests and forensic analysis to determine their identity.
The hospital also said it had filed a report on how the samples received were burnt beyond recognition and they could not identify them.
Sheena Bora was killed on April 24, 2012 and her remains were discovered near the Pen forests on May 23, 2012.
Sheena's mother Indrani Mukherjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyam Rai have been arrested in connection with the murder and are in police custody till August 31.
On Friday night, in a major breakthrough in the case, after intensive interrogation by police, Khanna cracked down and confessed to his role and complicity in the crime.
Sheena's passport was found in the home of her ex-lover Rahul Mukherjea, the son of former media tycoon Peter Mukherjea.
Mikhail Bora, the brother of Sheena, has submitted certain evidenc to police which are being verified, according to Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria.
However, the motive behind Sheena's killing was not yet clear as police continue to conduct investigations in Mumbai, Raigad, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dehradun to solve the sensational murder case.
