Indrani booked for plotting son's murder

Murder most foul: Police custody of the accused extended till September 5

Television industry tycoon Peter Mukerjea’s wife Indrani Mukerjea was on Monday booked for attempting to poison and kill her son Mikhail Bora even as her custodial remand in connection with the sensational murder of her daughter Sheena Bora was extended till Saturday.

The Khar police station, which is investigating the case, has evoked Section 328 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with “causing hurt by means of poison with an intent to commit an offence”, and Section 307, which stands for attempt to murder.

Besides Indrani, her second husband Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyam Rai, who have been arrested for the brutal murder of Sheena Bora were also remanded in police custody till September 5. They have been booked under section 302 of IPC (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 364 (kidnapping and abduction).

Guwahati-based Mikhail had told the Mumbai Police that on April 24, 2012, his drink was spiked but he sensed trouble and escaped. He had also said that his mother was trying to get him admitted to a mental asylum in Pune. It was the same day when Sheena was murdered by strangulation inside a car in Mumbai. Soon after Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of S M Chandgade extended the police custody till Saturday, all of them were taken to the Khar police station, where a team of police officers led by Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria arrived for the investigation.

During the brief hearing, Indrani was represented by Gunjan Mangla and Khanna was represented by Hrishikesh Mundergi.  Sheena Bora, who worked as an Assistant Manager with the Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd, was murdered on April 24, 2012 and her body was discovered on May 23, 2012 at a wooded place in Pen taluk of Raigad district.

The Raigad police, however, botched up the case by not registering an FIR or ADR. It was only after a tip off to Maria, that the case was quietly opened nearly three months ago.
So far, the Khar police station has not recorded the statement of Peter Mukerjea, the former Star India CEO and co-founder of INX Media Pvt Ltd. However, there are chances that in the next couple of days, he may be summoned.

So far, he has given a brief written statement to the police and had refused to be confronted with Indrani. He has maintained that he knew Sheena and her brother Mikhail Bora, as Indrani’s siblings. Mangla and Mundergi, appearing for Indrani and Khanna respectively, argued that since the two accused have been in police custody for sufficient time — more than 80 to 90 hours — the remand should not be extended further. Police suspect that more people outside the state might have been involved in the murder and they were yet to establish the financial trail in the case besides establishing the exact motive.

Police also moved an application, contending that the accused should not be allowed to consume home food during their custody as it could be laced with poison, but the magistrate rejected it.