Mumbai: In bail plea, Indrani Mukerjea seeks parity with Peter Mukerjea, tries to vilify approver

MUMBAI: Arguing her fifth bail plea, Indrani Mukerjea on Friday sought to discredit approver Shyamwar Rai in the Sheena Bora murder case and demanded parity with another accused Peter Mukerjea, who was granted bail by the Bombay high court a day earlier.
She told a special CBI court that before turning approver, Rai, her former driver, had demanded Rs 50 lakh to keep mum. When she refused, he brought it down to Rs 15 lakh and subsequently Rs 10 lakh.He also sought Rs 5 lakh from the third co-accused Sanjeev Khanna. “None of us budged,” said Indrani.
Asked when these interactions happened, Indrani said before Rai was transferred to Thane jail, for around nine months they had travelled from their respective jails to court in the same van. Rai has said Indrani, Khanna and he had murdered Sheena on April 24, 2012, and disposed of the body the following morning. He claimed that he and Indrani had done a recce to find the spot to get rid of Sheena’s body and Peter was part of the conspiracy.
Though the HC has stayed Peter Mukerjea’s bail for six weeks, he expressed relief that he had been granted bail. “I am glad it is six weeks and not six months,” he said outside court.
Seeking parity, Indrani told the trial court that though Peter is more influential, if he could get bail, so should she. She pointed out that the remaining witnesses included his relatives. “If he is out on bail, he is in a better position to influence witnesses. But now that the high court feels that he will not do so, then why would I?” she said.
Claiming she was suffering from a terminal illness, Indrani said there was no body, no identity of the remains, no call data records or forensic evidence to prove her role in the crime.
Indrani then alluded to the possibility of Peter’s involvement in her arrest a day before her daughter Vidhie Mukerjea’s 18th birthday on August 25, 2015. Vidhie is Indrani and Sanjeev’s biological daughter, who was adopted by Peter. Peter had transferred a flat now worth Rs 30 crore at Marlow Building, Worli, in her name, and though they were custodians, Vidhie was to get full control when she turned 18. Through the deposition of the building’s manger, she learnt that a day after her arrest, Peter had written to the housing society to defer the transfer to Vidhie and subsequently the flat was given to Rabin Mukerjea, Peter’s son from an earlier marriage. She added she has also learnt that her ancestral jewellery was transferred from her lockers to that held by Peter and his son jointly.
“These are my thoughts and I cannot prove anything. We are also divorced now. But I have this feeling that this could be the reason why I was arrested a day before Vidhie’s 18th birthday. It is a very expensive property. I am sure this will be very upsetting for Accused 4 (Peter),” said Indrani. Peter had left the court room by then.
Indrani said Rai was an unreliable witness, pointing to an arms case in which Rai had pleaded not guilty, but later accepted that he had been caught with a gun.
The CBI will present arguments on February 20.