Indrani set Sheena on fire: driver

Indrani Mukerjea, former media personality and a key accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena, set out looking for a “good place” days before the killing where she would dispose of her body, a Mumbai court was told on Friday.

Shaymvar Rai, a former driver of Indrani, who was made an approver in the case in June last year, said she also wanted to kill Mikhail, Sheena’s brother.

During his examination, Rai said in March 2012, Indrani, who was then abroad, told him through online video chat application Skype that she wanted to kill Sheena and Mikhail, her two kids from an earlier relationship.

“Indrani said she will take care of my kids, their education and family’s medical expenses, and assured that I will have a permanent job,” Rai claimed.

The crime unfolds
In April 2012, Indrani asked him to find places around Lonavla and Mumbai for dumping the bodies of Mikhail and Sheena after the murder, Rai said.

The next day he picked up Indrani from airport, and on the way home she told him that she wanted to kill Sheena and Mikhail in two days.

Indrani went with him to look for places to dump the bodies. At a spot near Khandala (near Lonavla) she said, “This place will be good for Mikhail.”

‘Good place’
After seeing another spot in Khopoli she said it would be good for Sheena, Rai claimed. Then she spoke to husband Peter Mukerjea over phone in English, Rai said, adding she said it was a good place.

On April 24, 2012, the day Sheena was murdered, Indrani bought six bottles of medicines, one of vodka and two small water bottles. On reaching home, she asked Rai to add the medicines to the liquor and water bottles. It was Indrani who gave the drug-laced water to Sheena when she arrived that evening, Rai said.

As they were moving in the Bandra-Pali Hill area, “Sheena was sitting in the car with eyes closed. Indrani asked me to stop the car and Khanna (Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani’s former husband, a co-accused) got up and sat on the rear seat (next to Sheena and Indrani),” Rai said.

He then saw Khanna grab Sheena’s hair and Indrani strangle her. Indrani asked Rai to cover Sheena’s mouth. The body was taken home  and kept in the garage, he said.

On April 25, Indrani, Rai and Khanna drove towards Pen (in Raigad district) with Sheena’s body. On the way, Rai said, Indrani tidied Sheena’s hair and applied lipstick. The body was taken to a spot near Pen where Khanna poured petrol on it and Indrani set it on fire, he said.