The Bombay High Court declined the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) request to halt the airing of the documentary series “The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth.”
Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande, after viewing the series, found no elements prejudicial to the ongoing Sheena Bora murder trial, where Indrani Mukerjea is the primary accused.
The court emphasized that public perception wasn’t a primary concern and stated that nothing discovered in the series contradicted the prosecution’s case. The CBI’s appeal came after the rejection of its initial plea by the special CBI court.
During the hearing, the CBI contended that the series included interviews with both the accused and witnesses. Additional Solicitor General Devang Vyas, representing the agency, argued that since they had only viewed the trailer, they were unaware of the extent to which witnesses were featured in the series.
On February 22, the High Court recommended that Netflix organize a screening for the involved lawyers and judges to assess the series before making a decision.
Subsequently, Netflix postponed the release of the series. Following their viewing, the bench declared that they found nothing detrimental to the trial and subsequently dismissed the application. Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam represented Netflix, while advocate Abhinav Chandrachud represented the series producer.
What is the Sheena Bora Case?
In one of the tragic days in Mumbai, beneath the glitz and glamour, a dark narrative of deceit, treachery, and homicide unfurled in 2012 – a narrative that has held the nation spellbound for more than a decade. Sheena Bora, a driven young professional employed at Mumbai Metro One, mysteriously vanished on April 24, 2012, leaving behind no trace. Despite exhaustive efforts, she remained missing.
After years of investigation, Mumbai police made a significant breakthrough in August 2015. They arrested Indrani Mukerjea, Sheena’s mother and a former media executive, along with her second husband, Peter Mukerjea, and their driver, Shyamvar Rai. The charges leveled against them were severe: abduction, murder, and the grisly disposal of Sheena Bora’s remains.
These arrests followed extensive surveillance on Indrani, instigated by a tip-off and Rai’s previous apprehension for illegal possession of firearms.
It is believed that Sheena Bora was suffocated to death inside a car in April 2012, purportedly by Indrani, her former driver Shyamvar Rai, and ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna.
Based on Rai’s testimony, the murder was carefully premeditated. Indrani reportedly scouted the area for disposing of the body a day before the crime.
On the evening of April 24, 2012, Khanna purportedly choked Sheena in a side street in Bandra after she was dropped off by Rahul Mukerjea. Investigators assert that the body was later taken to Indrani’s home in Worli, where it was hidden in a bag and placed in the car’s trunk.
