Sep 04 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) Sheena's dad in city, Peter quizzed again; car traced  Ahmed Ali  Mumbai   Peter Mukerjea, former CEO of Star India, was questioned for the second consecutive day by Khar police in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case on Thursday .While he had been quizzed for 12 hours the previous day , the second day's questioning lasted over 11 hours. Siddhartha Das, the biological father of Sheena and Mikh cal father of Sheena and Mikhail Bora, was brought to the city from Kolkata and taken to Khar police station for recording his statement. His blood was taken for DNA profiling. Police sources, meanwhi le, said that the bones exhumed from the jungles of Pen in Raigad district belong to a young woman aged between 20 and 25 years. The analysis of bones and skull, suspected to be that of Sheena, was done by doctors at BYL Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central. The car used in the crime was recovered on Thursday , and the police continued to claim that Indrani Mukerjea had confessed to the crime.Police have now roped in a couple of chartered accountants to help them understand the financial details they have obtained from Peter Mukerjea to know if money andor inheritance was the motive for the killing. An investigator told TOI on condition of anonymity that the police would inform other agencies if they found any irregularities in Peter's books of accounts. And though the police have prima facie ruled out the involvement of Peter in the crime, they are probing if he had knowledge of it. Police said there were reports that when Peter and Indrani exited from INX Media in 2009, they received funds from the sale, of which a major share was placed in Sheena's accounts. In Sheena's absence, this money would be divid ed between Indrani and Vidhie, Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna's daughter, now adopted by Peter.“We are verifying how the money was distributed among the family members,“ a police officer said. Peter on Thursday arrived at the Khar police station along with his CA and bank statements, documents pertaining to the registration of companies and the books of his various companies. After he had given out finan cial details, the police asked him if he had any knowledge of Sheena's murder or if he had suspected anything amiss when Sheena went missing on April 24, 2012, and whether he had suspected that Indrani was misleading him by saying that Sheena had left for the US.He was asked about the fact that Rahul had told him he felt something was wrong. Peter reportedly replied that Rahul had indeed informed him about Sheena's disappearance but when he asked Indrani about it, she convinced him that Sheena had settled in the US.Peter also said there was a heated argument between him and Rahul over Sheena's disappearance, and after that, Rahul had stopped talking to him. The police had on Wednesday given Peter a written questionnaire containing 25 questions. On Thursday , similar questions were posed to him orally and his answers tallied with those he had given the previous day , both orally and in writing. The police escorted Indrani's one-time partner Das to the Khar police station at around 8.10pm. A police team had reached Das's Kolkata home on Wednesday in order to get him to Mumbai. “His statement has been recorded and his sample taken for a DNA test,“ an investigator told TOI. Indrani's ex-husband Khanna and her driver Shyamvar Rai were questioned in other rooms in the police station at the same time that Peter and Das were present there. Thus, Indrani's husband, her ex-husband and Mikhail's biological father were in the Khar police station at the same time on Thursday . The car used in the crime was recovered from a person in Nashik. AM Motors, who had given the car on a rental basis to Indrani in 2012, had told the police that they had sold the car to a dealer and the dealer had in turn sold it to someone else. Police said they were certain that it was the same car in which Sheena was strangled and her body taken for dumping to Raigad.

Aug 27 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) MURDER IN THE FAMILY - Maria upset with Khar cops for treating Rahul's complaint lightly    S Ahmed Ali 2nd Husband Too Held For Role In Strangling Sheena  mumbai: The case involving the arrest of Indrani Mukerjea (43), the high-profile co-founder of a broadcast company , for the murder of Sheena Bora in 2012 got a bizarre twist in the tail on Wednesday as it emerged that the murder victim was not Indrani's sister but her own daughter. Adding to the sordid saga was the arrest of Indrani's ex-husband FULL COVERAGE: P 2, 3 & 6 Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyam Rai by Mumbai police for strangling Bora and disposing of the body in the forest areas of Raigad. Indrani was arrested on Tuesday after Rai, arrested in an illegal arms case, spilled the beans on the murder that had not been cracked for three years. Indrani had all along maintained, even to her third husband Peter Mukerjea, earlier CEO of Star India and pro moter of INX Media, that Sheena was her sister and had moved to the US in April 2012. Police commissioner Rakesh Maria said Indrani had confessed on Wednesday that Sheena was actually her daughter from her first marriage in Guwahati and that she had killed her with the help of her second husband, Khanna. Police suspect it to be an `honour killing' as they say Indrani had serious problems with Sheena's relationship with her step-brother Rahul, Mukerjea's son from an earlier marriage. Sheena and Rahul were planning to marry , police said. However, police are also saying there could be a financial motive linked to proceeds from the TV channel where the Mukerjeas were the power couple. The third theory they are examining is whether Sheena was blackmailing Indrani by threatening to reveal to Peter Mukerjea that she was her daughter and not sister. Police sources said that after killing Sheena, Indrani and Khanna had also planned to kill Michail, Sheena's brother and Indrani's second child from her first marriage, in order to garner his property . Khanna's motive for involvement, according to the police, was that he wanted his own daughter from Indrani, Vidhie, to get Sheena's share of the mother's property . Khanna will be produced in court on Thursday . Rahul, who arrived in Mumbai late Wednesday evening, was being grilled by Khar police, who are probing the case, at the time of going to press. He had dropped Sheena outside National College in Bandra on April 24, 2012 from where Indrani and Khanna picked her up in their car before strangling her. Maria slams Khar cops, P 6  `Great Gatsby' of Mumbai  Indrani Mukerjea was like the Great Gatsby of Mumbai--no one knew where she came from and how she overnight transformed herself into a self proclaimed media maharani. Those who knew the Mukerjeas suggest that Peter was a different man before he met her and that she had him “under her thumb“. A relative of Peter's told an acquaintance recently that his wife was his undoing. “There was something diabolical in her eyes,“ said a former employee of NewsX. However, other friends describe Indrani as a warm down-to -earth person. P 2 Rai told police that Indrani had asked Sheena to meet her outside National College under the pretext of discussing some important issue. “Indrani insisted over the phone that she come alone. After Rahul dropped Sheena at the spot and left, Sheena saw Khanna sitting on the rear seat of Indrani's car and refused to get in. But Indrani pulled Sheena inside and the car took off, with Rai driving,“ a police officer said. On the way , while Khanna caught her hands and legs, Indrani strangled her. “The trio took her body to a remote place in Pen and used petrol to burn the body so she could not be recognized,“ said Maria, who was instrumental in cracking the case and who himself interrogated Indrani on Tuesday . This case too would have gone undetected like a few other sensational murders including that of 58-year-old Lalita Pinge in Shivaji Park in 2007, had Maria not asked inspector Dinesh Kadam to act on the tip-off that Indrani could be behind the mysterious disappearance of her sister Sheena. Police have now called for the call detail reports (CDRs) of Indrani, Khanna, Rai, Sheena and Rahul. A former editor and columnist is also likely to be called in for questioning as he was in touch with Indrani. Police said that after Sheena went missing, Rahul tried to call her on her cell phone but it was switched off. After waiting for two days, he went to Khar police station and tried to lodge a missing person's complaint as Sheena was a Khar resident. Khar police, however, did not take any notice, after which Rahul approached Worli police as Indrani stayed in Worli. The Worli police went to Indrani's house, where the latter told them that Sheena had left for the US “for her future,“ and the police believed her.The next day , Rahul got several text messages from Sheena's cell number stating that she wanted to break off the relationship with him as she was shifting to the US. Rahul tried to approach her again but could not get in touch with her. Maria is said to be upset with Khar police who did not take Rahul's complaint seriously and also with two senior police officials of the region who were not convinced about information on the murder until Maria called them and asked them to supervise the investigation. Peter Mukerjea told the police and media on Wednesday that he had never known that Indrani had a second husband.“She told me Sanjeev Khanna was her first husband and I believed her. I don't know anything about her marriage to any other person. Indrani and Khanna used to talk, but I never bothered to find out what went on between them. I am shocked. When, two years ago, somebody told me Sheena was her daughter and not her sister, I thought it was rubbish and believed Indrani,“ he said. Siddhart Das from Guwahati was Indrani's first husband. Cops are also examining atheory that she had one more relationship before that and whether that ended in marriage or not. Meanwhile, a team of police officers on Wednesday reached Pen and collected the copy of the panchnama and pictures of the body. “We have communicated with SP Suhez Haq who had told us that on May 23, 2012, police had indeed found the decomposed body of a woman which was beyond recognition. We are in the process of gathering evidence,“ said Deven Bharti, joint CP (law and order). Sheena had been working for Metro One in 2012. A MMOPL spokesperson said on Wednesday that she had “joined Mumbai Metro as an assistant manager on 20th June, 2011. She took leave of absence on 24th April, 2012 and while she was on leave, she sent in her written resignation.“ Maria has congratulated police inspector Dinesh Kadam, whose informant came up with the tip-off about Rai possessing an illegal weapon. Based on this, ACP Sanjay Kadam, senior inspector D Bargude, and Nitin Alaknure and Nyaneshwar Ganware worked on the case.

Aug 27 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) It was her daughter Indrani killed, not sister, for `affair' with step-brother: Police  Ahmed Ali  Mumbai:    2nd Husband Too Held For Role In Strangling Sheena The case involving the arrest of Indrani Mukerjea (43), the high-profile co-founder of a broadcast company , for the murder of Sheena Bora in 2012 got a bizarre twist in the tail on Wednesday as it emerged that the murder victim was not Indrani's sister but her own daughter. Adding to the sordid saga was the arrest of Indrani's ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyam Rai by Mumbai police for strangling Bora and disposing of the body in the forest areas of Raigad.Indrani was arrested on Tuesday after Rai, arrested in an illegal arms case, spilled the beans on the murder that had not been cracked for three years. Indrani had all along maintained, even to her third husband Peter Mukerjea, earlier CEO of Star India and pro moter of INX Media, that Sheena was her sister and had moved to the US in April 2012. Police commissioner Rakesh Maria said Indrani had confessed on Wednesday that Sheena was actually her daughter from her first marriage in Guwahati and that she had killed her with the help of her second husband, Khanna. Police suspect it to be an `honour killing' as they say Indrani had serious problems with Sheena's relationship with her step-brother Rahul, Mukerjea's son from an earlier marriage. Sheena and Rahul were planning to marry , police said. However, police are also saying there could be a financial motive linked to proceeds from the TV channel where the Mukerjeas were the power couple. The third theory they are examining is whether Sheena was blackmailing Indrani by threatening to reveal to Peter Mukerjea that she was her daughter and not sister. Police sources said that after killing Sheena, Indrani and Khanna had also planned to kill Michail, Sheena's brother and Indrani's second child from her first marriage, in order to garner his property . Khanna's motive for involvement, according to the police, was that he wanted his own daughter from Indrani, Vidhie, to get Sheena's share of the mother's property . Khanna will be produced in court on Thursday . Rahul, who arrived in Mumbai late Wednesday evening, was being grilled by Khar police, who are probing the case, at the time of going to press. He had dropped Sheena outside National College in Bandra on April 24, 2012 from where Indrani and Khanna picked her up in their car before strangling her. 'Great Gatsby' of Mumbai Indrani Mukerjea was like the Great Gatsby of Mumbai--no one knew where she came from and how she overnight transformed herself into a self proclaimed media maharani. Those who knew the Mukerjeas suggest that Peter was a different man before he met her and that she had him “under her thumb“. A relative of Peter's told an acquaintance recently that his wife was his undoing. “There was something diabolical in her eyes,“ said a former employee of NewsX. However, other friends describe Indrani as a warm down-to -earth person. Rai told police that Indrani had asked Sheena to meet her outside National College under the pretext of discussing some important issue. “Indrani insisted over the phone that she come alone. After Rahul dropped Sheena at the spot and left, Sheena saw Khanna sitting on the rear seat of Indrani's car and refused to get in. But Indrani pulled Sheena inside and the car took off, with Rai driving,“ a police officer said. On the way , while Khanna caught her hands and legs, Indrani strangled her. “The trio took her body to a remote place in Pen and used petrol to burn the body so she could not be recognized,“ said Maria, who was instrumental in cracking the case and who himself interrogated Indrani on Tuesday . This case too would have gone undetected like a few other sensational murders including that of 58-year-old Lalita Pinge in Shivaji Park in 2007, had Maria not asked inspector Dinesh Kadam to act on the tip-off that Indrani could be behind the mysterious disappearance of her sister Sheena. Police have now called for the call detail reports (CDRs) of Indrani, Khanna, Rai, Sheena and Rahul. A former editor and columnist is also likely to be called in for questioning as he was in touch with Indrani. Police said that after Sheena went missing, Rahul tried to call her on her cell phone but it was switched off. After waiting for two days, he went to Khar police station and tried to lodge a missing person's complaint as Sheena was a Khar resident. Khar police, however, did not take any notice, after which Rahul approached Worli police as Indrani stayed in Worli. The Worli police went to Indrani's house, where the latter told them that Sheena had left for the US “for her future,“ and the police believed her.The next day , Rahul got several text messages from Sheena's cell number stating that she wanted to break off the relationship with him as she was shifting to the US. Rahul tried to approach her again but could not get in touch with her. Maria is said to be upset with Khar police who did not take Rahul's complaint seriously and also with two senior police officials of the region who were not convinced about information on the murder until Maria called them and asked them to supervise the investigation. Peter Mukerjea told the police and media on Wednesday that he had never known that Indrani had a second husband.“She told me Sanjeev Khanna was her first husband and I believed her. I don't know anything about her marriage to any other person. Indrani and Khanna used to talk, but I never bothered to find out what went on between them. I am shocked. When, two years ago, somebody told me Sheena was her daughter and not her sister, I thought it was rubbish and believed Indrani,“ he said. Siddhart Das from Guwahati was Indrani's first husband. Cops are also examining atheory that she had one more relationship before that and whether that ended in marriage or not. Meanwhile, a team of police officers on Wednesday reached Pen and collected the copy of the panchnama and pictures of the body. “We have communicated with SP Suhez Haq who had told us that on May 23, 2012, police had indeed found the decomposed body of a woman which was beyond recognition. We are in the process of gathering evidence,“ said Deven Bharti, joint CP (law and order). Sheena had been working for Metro One in 2012. A MMOPL spokesperson said on Wednesday that she had “joined Mumbai Metro as an assistant manager on 20th June, 2011. She took leave of absence on 24th April, 2012 and while she was on leave, she sent in her written resignation.“ Maria has congratulated police inspector Dinesh Kadam, whose informant came up with the tip-off about Rai possessing an illegal weapon. Based on this, ACP Sanjay Kadam, senior inspector D Bargude, and Nitin Alaknure and Nyaneshwar Ganware worked on the case. (With inputs from V Narayan)

Aug 26 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) TV firm promoter held for ordering sister's murder  Ahmed Ali  Mumbai   Driver Spills Beans After 3 Yrs; Property Row Motive? Police have arrested Indrani Mukerjea, the high-profile co-founder of a broadcast company and wife of Peter Mukerjea--who was CEO of Star India before he promoted INX Media--for murdering her own sister in a case that is sensational for at least two reasons: the dramatis personae involved and the manner in which the alleged killers covered their tracks and escaped suspicion for three years.The case would have remained one more of Mumbai police's unsolved cases had not an informer tipped off the police about the murder. He told cops that he had information about the murder of Sheena Bora in 2012 and could lead them to the murderer as well as the victim's body. Khar police picked up Mukerjea's driver, Shinoy Roy ,a few days ago, and based on this information, started grilling him, upon which he confessed to having murdered Bo ra at Mukerjea's behest. He also told the cops that he dumped Bora's body in the forests of Raigad (in the Konkan region of Maharashtra). Mumbai police got in touch with their counterparts in Raigad, who confirmed that the remains of an unknown woman had been found at the same spot in 2012. The police then arrested the driver, and on the strength of his confession, asked Mukerjea, who is in her early 40s, to present herself for questioning on Tuesday. She was arrested after being interrogated for three hours. Both Mukerjea and her driver were produced in the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate's court on Tuesday and were remanded in police custody till August 31. They have been booked under Sections 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping) and 201 (destroying evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. Senior officials said Roy had told interro gators that the two sisters fell out over a property or financial dispute. More details would emerge after they interrogated Mukerjea, who herself was a top executive in a television channel, officials said. Sources connected to the probe said they had proceeded very cautiously and questioned the driver for two days before picking up Mukerjea. “We will interrogate and find out more about the motive and how the body was disposed of,“ an officer at Khar police station said. Officials, however, said there could be problems during the trial stage as the skeletal remains were disposed of without collecting any DNA sample. In 2009, the Mukerjeas promoted INX Media, promoted INX Media, which operated 9X, a Hindi general entertainment channel, 9XM, music channel, and NewsX, a news channel. Indrani was CEO while her husband was chairman. They stepped down in 2009.

Sep 03 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) Cops quiz Peter for 12 hours, compare answers with wife's  S AHMED ALI Mumbai:  TIMES NEWS NETWORK    Search Home, May Call Him Again Today The Khar police questioned former Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea for nearly 12 hours in the Sheena Bora murder case on Wednesday . He will be called again on Thursday . Peter is the husband of Indrani Mukerjea, with whom he co-founded INX Media. Indrani was arrested on August 25 for the alleged murder of her daughter Sheena.Peter, accompanied by his elder brother Gautam Mukerjea, arrived at Khar police sta tion at 10.30am and left at 10.45pm. While one police team questioned him, another searched his flat in Worli and took away some documents and a laptop. He was given a break in the afternoon. Police officials close to the investigation said Peter was initially given a written questionnaire containing 25 questions. Gautam was asked to sit in the next room while Peter answered these questions. After he had finished, he was questioned orally. “We will re cord his statement again on Thursday to find out if there are any discrepancies,“ a police officer said. A similar set of questions given to Peter was also given to Indrani, who was brought in from the Bandra police lockup and made to sit in an adjoining room. Police officers were busy comparing Peter and Indrani's replies late Wednesday evening. Among the posers in the written questionnaire were those related to Peter's financial transactions, especially his investments, his share in various companies, and how much money he had given Indrani, son Rahul, step-daughter Sheena, and younger stepdaughter Vidhie (Indrani's daughter from her previous marriage, whom Peter adopted). He was also asked about his exit from INX. Other questions were more familial in nature, police officials said. What was his reaction when Rahul announced his engagement to Sheena? Did he permit Rahul to go ahead? Did he know Indrani was in constant touch with her exhusband Khanna? Who did he think killed Sheena and what could be the motive? And why did he not suspect foul play in Sheena's disappearance? Peter was also asked if he was aware that Indrani was Sheena's mother and not her sister. He is believed to have replied that his son Rahul and Sheena had told him that she was the daughter, but he had believed his wife after she had refuted this saying she had brought up Sheena like a parent. The police team sought to know if he was aware that his marriage with Indrani was her third and whether Indrani had told him about her ex-partner Siddhartha Das and the two children--Sheena and Mikhail--she had from him. Some questions were about the days immediately after Sheena's disappearance. Peter had earlier told police that he was holidaying in UK on April 24, 2012, the day Sheena went missing. But did he inquire about her when he returned from the UK. He was reportedly asked when did his son Rahul tell him there was something wrong with Indrani's story that Sheena had settled in the US? What was his reaction when Rahul told him he suspected foul play? Why he did not question Indrani or do a check on Sheena's whereabouts? Why did he easily believe Indrani? “We asked him all this and more,“ police officials said. The questioning of Peter Mukherjea marks a new phase in an investigation that has riveted the attention of large sections of India middle and `upper' classes, but has also led to criticism of the police for leaking information and of the media for lapping it up without question. Mahesh Jethmalani, a prominent advocate whom Peter visited a few days ago for advice, said, “I don't believe in trial by media like the police does.“ TV channels have been accused of airing unsubstantiated allegations and fanciful theories in their quest for ratings, which in turn is seen to have pushed newspapers to play up the story without providing perspective. Police are also likely to record Vidhie's statement soon. There were media reports on Wednesday that police had brought Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna face to face, but investigators denied this, saying that will be done only if there are contradictions in statements given by them. Jethmalani's junior, Gunjan Mangla, met Indrani for about 20 minutes in the police station in the presence of five cops on Wednesday . People close to Indrani said such a meeting in the presence of policemen may not allow a free discussion between lawyer and client. Meanwhile, police suspect that the car in which Sheena's body was taken to Raigad was hired by Peter. Police said Peter had called up the owner of AM Cars, a rental service in Worli, and asked him to provide a car without a driver to his wife Indrani as some guest had come from Kolkata. For the owner, who is an old acquaintance of Peter and a fellow member of the Willingdon Club, the request had not seemed unusual at that time. Police are also getting details of Sheena's bank statements.   

Sep 02 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) SHEENA MURDER CASE - Week later, Indrani admits role in murder  Ahmed Ali  Mumbai   Yet To Reveal Motive Behind Crime After remaining mum for nearly a week, Indrani Mukerjea, the main accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, has finally confessed. Sources close to the investigation confirmed that Indrani, who broke down on Monday after briefly meeting her other daughter Vidhie at Bandra court, has admitted to her role in the crime. Till recently , she had been maintaining Sheena was very much alive and in the US.“There are a few discrepancies in her story and we are now piecing together the jigsaw of the roles of each of the three accused,“ said an officer. The development comes soon after she was produced along with her two accomplices--ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and former driver Shyamvar Rai--before the metropolitan magistrate for extension of police custody . Indrani, who also met her lawyers and Vidhie, is believed to have learnt that her co-accused have already confessed to their part in the crime. However, she refused to admit that she had any plans to kill Mikhail, or revealed the motive for killing Sheena.“While she has admitted to the crime she has not given us any particular motive behind the murder. She is in our custody for three more days and we hope to learn everything by then,“ added the officer. Police are likely to record her husband Peter Mukerjea's statement by Thursday and also bring Indrani face-to-face with him to extract more information. Last week Peter's preliminary statement was recorded and police are yet to record his detailed statement, which police said will help them join the dots of the crime. A Mumbai Police team, currently in Kolkata, will bring Siddhartha Das to Mumbai for a DNA test to establish the identity of the remains recovered from Raigad. Das, believed to be Indrani's first husband, claimed in TV interviews on Tuesday that he was Indrani's live-in partner and fathered both Sheena and Mikhail. The skull believed to be of Sheena, has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory and Das's DNA will be matched with it. However, police said they are yet to find the Opel Corsa used in the crime. Meanwhile police commissioner Rakesh Maria, who is supervising the investigations, has reportedly warned all cops not to reveal anything to the media at this stage as it will hamper the investigation.“It's a very sensitive case and any misinformation appearing in the print or electronic media will lead to acquittal of the accused and the case will go for a toss. Once a few things are clear I will speak to media, but if anything is revealed earlier I will see to it that departmental action is taken against the officer,“ Maria has reportedly told officers. Sources said Maria was also upset over the fact that the media was tracking the people involved in the case before cops could do so.On Tuesday , the electronic media traced Das whom police had failed to find so far. The media also traced Mikhail long before the police. Mumbai cops on Kolkata money trail A Mumbai Police team is in Kolkata for the past two days, accompanied by Kolkata police sleuths, and is visiting all places frequented by Sanjeev Khanna, an accused in the Sheena Bora murder. Khanna allegedly received several rounds of “undisclosed“ money, claim investigators. The police are probing Khanna's financial details as they don't believe his claim, that he met main accused Indrani Mukerjea and went to Mumbai only for their daughter Vidhie.Investigators say Indrani planned to shift to the UK and live with Vidhie, after transferring all of Sheena's shares in Vidhie's name. Mumbai cops have reportedly spoken to several of his associates and checked certain bank transactions by Khanna since 2012. Late on Monday evening, the team visited Khanna's residence in the Hastings area of south Kolkata and reportedly spoke to the caretaker. They might return to record the statement of a few family members, including a woman who was reportedly close to him.--Dwaipayan Ghosh     

Sep 01 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) `Indrani impersonated Sheena on phone'  S Ahmed Ali and V Narayan  Mumbai:  TNN    21 Emails Were Exchanged Between Her And Forger Police probing the Sheena Bora murder case have found that 21 emails were exchanged between Indrani Mukerjea and her staffer who allegedly forged Sheena's signature after the murder at Indrani's behest.Sheena, who used to work for Mumbai Metro One as assistant manager, went missing on April 24, 2012 after her mother Indrani and her second husband Sanjeev Khanna along with driver Shyam Rai killed her and disposed of her body in Raigad.“When Sheena did not go to work for three to four days, her office start ed calling on her cell phone and inquiring. Indrani, who then impersonated as Sheena, said she was quitting the job because she was going abroad.When the office asked her to send in her resignation letter, Indrani asked her staffer to prepare a resignation letter and forge Sheena's signature on it,“ a police officer said. She also emailed her a sample of Sheena's signature. “The staffer did a proxy signature and sent it to Indrani, who asked her to improve it, and thus 21 emails were exchanged be tween the two discussing Sheena's signatures. We are making the staffer a witness,“ the officer said. Asked whether the staffer had any idea what was happening, police said Indrani had also convinced her that Sheena had left for the US. A similar letter was signed by the same staffer to get the leave and license agreement of the rented flat in Andheri, where Sheena and her boyfriend Rahul lived, cancelled. Days after Sheena was murdered, Indrani posed as Sheena and answered calls but never picked up Rahul's call and only replied to him through text messages, saying she wanted to break off all ties with him. Police have also got call details of Indrani, her second husband Sanjeev Khanna and Shyam Rai to ascertain their location right from Kolkata to Mumbai, particularly outside Na tional College in Bandra where the trio lured Sheena and strangulated her before dumping her body in a secluded spot in Raigad. “The CDRs will help us establish the roles of each of the accused. We are collecting all possible technical and material evidence to see that we make a watertight case,“ said Rakesh Maria, Mumbai police commissioner. Officials said they have also reco vered a huge suitcase from Indrani's house which was meant to be used to dump Michail's body in case he was killed. Police are getting passport details of Sheena from the Regional Passport Office to check Indrani's claim that she held two passports. “In vestigators are also collecting information on passengers who travelled to US from Mumbai in 2012 (between April 24 and May 1),“ said the officer.   

Aug 31 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) Property, jealousy were motives?  Ahmed Ali  Mumbai:    The police said on Sunday that the motives in the Sheena Bora murder case are getting clear. Investigators have almost concluded that it was a fallout of Indrani Mukerjea's jealousy , hatred towards her children, Sheena and Michail, fear of getting exposed in society , particularly in front of her wealthy husband, Peter Mukerjea, and fear that if Sheena married Rahul Mukerjea, she may lose supremacy over the house and money power she was enjoying. TOI first reported this last Thursday . Sources said Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria is likely to address a press conference on the motives on Monday . “Though Indrani has not admitted to the crime, from the interrogation of (ex-husband) Sanjeev Khanna and the driver, Shyam Rai, and after recording statements of various people, including Michail and Rahul, we have almost concluded that Indrani killed Sheena over property .She did not want society , particularly her husband Peter, to know that Sheena and Mi chail were her children. She also feared that if Sheena married Rahul, she may tell Peter the truth, and he may divorce her, or exclude her from the property share,“ a police officer said. He added that Indrani was disturbed when Sheena and Michail used to call her `mom' and insisted on being referred to as `didi' (sister), which resulted in arguments. The police will record Peter's statement in a day or two.

Aug 31 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) I feared for my daughter's life: Khanna to cops  Ahmed Ali  Mumbai:    Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani Mukerjea's second husband, told his interrogators on Saturday that he agreed to be part of the plot after Indrani told him that Sheena and Rahul may kill Vidhie, his daughter. This revelation, experts feel, could put the key conspirator tag firmly on Indrani's shoulders. “Khanna has admitted to his role in the murder and said he along with Indrani strangulated Sheena after she lured him into the act by saying that Sheena and Michail were planning to kill Vidhie (Khanna's daughter from Indrani),“ said a police source. Sheena and Michail are Indrani's daughter and son respectively from her first husband Siddhart Das. Khanna has also reportedly accepted that he and Indrani had planned to kill Michail.TOI was first to report in its Wednesday s edition that the duo had planned to kill Michail and how Michail, suspecting foul play , escaped from Indrani's house in Worli on the day in 2012 when the duo killed Sheena in Bandra. Khanna said Indrani told him that if duo are killed then Vidhie will be the sole rightful owner of Peter Mukerjea's assets which are valued at several hundred crores. He reportedly added that he has regretted killing Sheena ever since he learnt that Sheena and Michail never had any plans to kill Vidhie and added that he had got carried away by Indrani's lies. Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria has asked Khar police to additional IPC section of 307 of attempt to murder to the case. Khanna was arrested from Kolkata on Wednesday and brought to Mumbai on Thursday . TOI has gone through the FIR in the case and found that Khanna had applied for anticipatory bail in Kolkata before he was arrested by the Mumbai police and produced before the Bandra court on August 27 after getting his transit remand .  Duo taken to crime spot in Raigad  The police on Sunday took Indrani Mukerjea's ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and her former driver Shyamvar Rai to a spot near Gagode Khurd village on Khopoli-Pen road in Raigad where Sheena's body was dumped. The police have identified the current owner of the car that was used to transport the body. “The car was sold after the body was disposed of to avoid suspicion.The buyer sold it again. The car is currently not in Mumbai. We are going to summon the owner,“ said an officer. The Khar police will add more sections under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act in the FIR against Indrani. “The charges will be applied for forging her daughter's signature in the resignation letter and for cancelling the leave and licence agreement, apart from using the victim's mobile phone for almost a year,“ an officer said.

Aug 30 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai)

Mom made 3 attempts on my life, says Michail 

S Ahmed Ali & Nitasha Natu

Mumbai:  TNN





He Also Alleged That Indrani Had Got Him Admitted To Pune Mental Hospital For 6 Mths

Michail Bora, who is likely to be made a witness in the Sheena Bora murder case, has told Mumbai police that his mother Indrani Mukerjea had made three attempts to kill him, TOI learnt on Saturday .Michail reportedly also told cops that before making the three attempts, Indrani had sent him to a Pune mental hospital. The special team set up to probe the case visited Yerwada Mental Hospital in Pune on Friday and asked its authorities to furnish details of Michail's reported six-month stay .
Khar police, on Saturday , made inquiries with Michail for hours at a suburban hotel. He was brought to the city from Guwahati on Friday; he slept over at Bandra police station. Police have denied reports that Michail had sent the forged resignation letter to Sheena's employer after her death.
“Michail told us that he was bit addicted to drugs. In 2011, under the pretext of rehabilitating him, Indrani allegedly forcibly got him admitted him to the hospital.He claimed that Indrani wanted to declare him as mentally disturbed to get rid of him,“ the officer said. To support his claim, Michail submitted the hospital documents to cops.
He alleged that before the tragic day of April 24, 2012, when Sheena was killed, Indrani had visited Guwhati twice and both times, she attempted to “drug him with poison.“ She allegedly spiked his drinks, which he only pretended to gulp down.The police are taking his claims with a pinch of salt as his relations with Indrani are strained. Indrani, on her part, has not just rubbished his allegations, she has even refused to admit to her role in the crime.
Meanwhile, on Friday , police traced the Opel Astra car used allegedly for the crime. It was found in Thane.The accused had sold the car to a dealer who in turn sold it to a customer.
Indrani accompanied by former husband Sanjeev Khanna allegedly waited in this car outside National College at Bandra to pick up Sheena after luring her on the pretext of discussing her marriage plans with Rahul Mukerjea and to buy her a ring from a well-known jeweller. The plan allegedly involved driving Sheena to Indrani's residence at Worli and killing both her and Michail. But Khanna and Indrani ended up strangulating Sheena inside the car at Bandstand. They then returned to Worli. By that time, a suspicious Michail had already fled, although he alleged that he was drugged by his mother. The police on Saturday said they have almost zeroed in on the motive for Sheena's murder. “First of all, Indrani was upset that Michail and Sheena often blackmailed her by threatening to expose her to husband Peter Mukerjea. Two, Indrani thought if Sheena married Rahul, she would end up ruling the Mukerjea household. Three, Khanna, with whom Indrani shared a special fondness even after their divorce, had been pressurizing her into ensuring that Vidhie got the major share of Mukerjea's wealth,“ said a police officer.
To strengthen the motive that Sheena's murder was a fallout of financial dispute, the police have now called for the bank statements of Indrani, Khanna and Sheena for the past three years.They want to track the flow of funds from Indrani's accounts.
Meanwhile, the police are also in the process of sending her laptop and mobile phones to the forensic Science Laboratories to extract her emails and other details. They have asked for call detail records (CDRs) of Indirani, Khanna, Sheena and Peter's son Rahul Mukerjea, which will help them establish their location at the time of the crime and their movement over the past three years.
Police are also likely to recreate the sequence of event of the crime on Sunday . Sources said on Saturday , they also got a huge soft suitcase to Khar police station. Police accompanied by Khanna, Indrani and driver Shyam Rai are likely to be taken to the scene of crime at Raigad to understand it.Cops will be asking each of them to identify the place where they dumped and how they burnt the body .
Khanna wants access to meds
Kolkata businessman Sanjeev Khanna's lawyer moved an application at the Bandra magistrate court on Saturday, asking for permission to provide him with medication as he had high blood pressure and clothes. The court has asked the prosecutor and the investigating officer to file their say on Monday. The application moved by Khanna's lawyer, Shreyansh Mithare, says that Khanna suffers from high blood pressure. It also says he should be given a change of clothes.The businessman hasn't had a change of clothes since he was brought from Kolkata. 





Aug 29 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) Bora's remnants in J J Hosp too found, sent for DNA tests  Sumitra Deb Roy & S Ahmed Ali TNN  Mumbai:  TNN    Mumbai police have collected the human remnants believed to be Sheena Bora's that were sent to J J Hospital by the Raigad police for examination in 2012 and sent them for forensic test.JJ authorities found the charred remains tucked away in one of the locked rooms of the anatomy department.They include a few bones, strands of hair, nail and tooth. The Raigad police had sent the samples on May 25, 2012, but never bothered to collect the findings. “In December 2013, we had written to them saying the samples were not adequate to determine the age or gender of the deceased. We also wrote that the cause of death could not be found out,“ said Dr T P Lahane, dean of JJ Hospital.They never got any response. Lahane added that in the same correspondence, it was told to the Raigad police that they should collect the remains. “We cannot dispose of human remains on our own. It is usually handed over to the police station concerned that takes a call on whether to preserve or destroy it,“ he said.The hospital is still in possession of samples, mainly bones, which are as old as 30 years. A forensic expert said bones can be preserved for ever and used to extract DNA. “We have collected the bones from JJ hospital.They have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina for various tests,'' said Deven Bharti, joint commissioner of police (law and order). The Kalina lab is gearing up for a barrage of samples.Besides the J J samples, a team of experts have collected exhumed bones purported to be Sheena's from Raigad.An official said since it is a high profile case, they would try to wrap up the initial round of tests in 4-7 days. Police said the DNA test will be done to establish whether the remains were of Sheena by comparing the DNA profiles with that of her mother Indrani Mukerjea and sibling Michail Bora. “We can establish maternity as the least,“ said an expert.

Aug 29 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) Skull, bones recovered from where Pen police buried Sheena's dumped body  George Mendonca & S Ahmed Ali  Navi MumbaiMumbai:  TNN    Recreating Face Through Tech, DNA Tests Likely Navi MumbaiMumbai: The Mumbai police on Friday recovered human skeletal remains from the spot where the charred corpse purported to be that of Sheena Bora's was dumped in a suitcase three years ago.The recovery of a skull and bones is significant in the case that witnessed police apathy as well as goof-up in handling the body . The Mumbai police plan to use the advanced superimposition technology on the skull to recreate the face, besides sending the remains for DNA test. Aconstable who had buried the body close to the spot where it had been dumped near Gagode Khurd village along the Khopoli-Pen road was reportedly called in on Friday . He led Mumbai police's team of forensic experts to the spot. “After going deep into the ravines through a bushy pathway , we were told to dig at a particular place. After digging for about three feet, we found a skull and some bones of the hands and legs,“ said a worker. On May 23, 2012, the partially burnt body packed in a suitcase was recovered by the Pen police from 40to 50-ft ravines after villagers complained of a stench. Strangely , the Pen police did not begin a probe despite the tell-tale signs of foul play. The forensic team reached the spot at around 6am, found the remains after about two hours of digging and left at around 3pm with the exhumed samples. “The Pen police team was summoned only to keep away local villagers. They were not even permitted in the spot where the workers dug and exhumed the bones,“ said assistant police inspector Mapankar of Pen police station. Sources said the police are likely to use the technology of superimposition of skull to reconstruct and identify whose skull it could be. Superimposition has been applied to skulls of corpses as an identification method. It involves layering of a skull and matching it with a photograph. “We had used a similar technology to identify the body of a terrorist found after the Mumbai serial train blasts in 2006,“ said an officer. Meanwhile, Konkan IG Prashant Burde refused to comment on the Pen police's goofup. “From electronic media reports, I have learnt that the forensic experts have found some human bones and I have sought a report from the Raigad superintendent of police,“ Burde said. Despite repeated attempts, Raigad SP Mohammad Suez Haque was unavailable for comments. “It is a shocking case of nonregistration of murder. Under the police manual, even with the slightest suspicion of foul play , the police should register a case of murder. If the cause of death is unclear, they should have registered a case of unnatural death and investigated it. A body can be disposed of only after a police officer conducts an inquest on the body or the remnants in the first stage and then in the second stage, a post-mortem has to be conducted and the viscera preserved. The violations are so glaring that it could be a case of connivance,“ said IPS officerturned-lawyer Y P Singh.

Aug 28 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai) Inquiry into why body was buried sans autopsy  S Ahmed Ali & George Mendonca  MumbaiRaigad:  TNN    The Raigad police have botched up investigation in the murder of Sheena Bora. Not only did the cops fail to register a murder case and send the body for a post-mortem and various scientific tests, they disposed of the body after only making a dairy entry . As per standard procedure, the police should have preserved the body in some government hospital morgue so that some claimant could come forward and should have registered a murder or accidental death report (ADR), but in this case police buried the body in the jungle without carrying out any scientific test.A high-level inquiry has been ordered by the state director general of police to find out who the officer incharge of the police station was at that time. The body was found on May 23, 2012. Sources said that the only good thing the police did was that they collected samples and made a small diary entry before disposing of the body .“The police have neither registered a murder nor ADR,“ said a senior police officer. However, the Khar police on Tuesday collected the reference number of the dairy entry and visited JJ hospital and asked them to hand over the forensic reports of the bones that the Raigad police had sent them. “We will now carry out a DNA test of Indrani, her parents and Michail to establish that the body was of indeed that of Sheena and this will be an important piece of evidence,“ said an official from Khar police station. When asked whether any departmental inquiry will be initiated against the concerned Raigad police officers for botching up the case, Raigad SP , Suez Haque, said that Mumbai joint CP (law and order) Deven Bharti should be contacted regarding this. Konkan IG Prashant Burde said, “I have not ordered any probe in the murder case of Sheena Bora as the Mumbai police is concerned with it. I have not yet received official papers pertaining to the case and hence cannot comment. But the Raigad police will assist the Mumbai police in their investigation as and when they seek help.“ Sameer Patil (32), sarpanch of Gagode village for the past seven years, said, “This is the first time that a woman's body was found in the ravines near our village. As an unbearable stench was emanating from the area, some locals informed the police after which they climbed down the ravine and found a burnt suitcase with a partially charred woman's body . The area was cordoned off by the police for two days and the villagers were prevented from entering the forest to cut firewood.“ TIMES VIEW: This case is yet another example of really shoddy investigative job. Cops across police stations now seem less interested in investigation and more keen to just get cases off their back. Initial reports suggest Raigad cops have not followed even the most basic procedures. What perhaps is even more worrying is this would have gone entirely unnoticed had it not been such a high-profile case. Is this what cops do with every case that is not followed by an aggrieved citizen?  

Aug 28 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai)

Sheena's bones kept in J J Hospital: Mumbai Police 

S Ahmed Ali & Sumitra Deb Roy

Mumbai:  TNN





The Raigad police, who had stumbled on a charred body now suspected to be of Sheena Bora in May 2012, claim some remains in the form of bones were sent to the JJ Hospital in Byculla and the rest were buried in the jungle.The Mumbai police claimed to have tracked down those bones to JJ's forensic department, but authorities at the hospital said they are yet to look up the records. A senior doctor told TOI that bones are usually sent to the anatomy department and not forensic medicine. “Bones are used to determine age and sex. In certain cases where there is circumstantial proof, it is also used to check for specific injuries. They can also be used to check metal poisoning. They are probably with the anatomy department,“ the doctor said.
As of now, it remains unclear whether the hospital is still in possession of the bones, which could be crucial for a DNA test to establish if the remains are indeed that of Bora. One doctor said biological samples are not preserved for more than 90 days unless asked for. However, another doctor said the samples are preserved till the time the police give a go-ahead that it can be disposed of.
Also, the requisition to study the bones or preserve them for DNA investigation has to be made by the police station concerned without which such samples are usually not looked at in busy centres like JJ Hospital.
A forensic expert expressed shock that the police did not think a post-mortem was necessary even after the body was found in mysterious circumstances. “A charred body inside a suitcase has foul play written all over it,“ said the expert.
“Raigad police officials had collected a few bones and send them to JJ hospital, but never bother to collect the findings,“ said a senior official.
The Mumbai police plan to run DNA tests on Indrani, her former husbands Sanjeev Khanna and Siddhart Das, and even Indrani's father who stays in Guwahati. The Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina on Thursday confirmed that they have never conducted any DNA test to establish Bora's identity . 





Aug 28 2015 : The Times of India (Mumbai)
Driver likely to be approver, cell locations match events
S Ahmed Ali & Nitasha Natu
Mumbai
TNN


Forger Of Sheena Sign In Quit Letter Names Indrani
Shyamvar Rai, the driver of Indrani Mukerjea who spilled the beans on Sheena Bora's murder, is almost certain to turn approver in the case, said police sources.
The police now claim he was not nvolved in the actual murder on April 24, 2012, but stood guard outside he car at Bandra's Land's End as Sheena was strangulated in the car.Later he helped dispose of the body .

City police commissioner Rakesh Maria, who has been handling the case personally , said on Thursday hat they have traced the person who had forged Sheena's signatures on a etter of resignation sent to the Mumbai Metro authorities, her employer, and another letter to her landlord giv ng up her apartment. The person claimed to have acted at Indrani's behest and cops have copies of incriminating email exchange between he two. His statement has been recorded. Sheena's resignation letter was mailed on May 5 and the landlord got the letter in July .

An approver in legal terms means an accomplice to a crime who confesses his or her guilt and gives evidence against others involved, usually for a lesser punishment.

The police decision to turn him an approver is significant as evidence in the case so far seemed weak with he Raigad police not conducting a post-mortem on the charred body suspected to be Sheena's that they recovered in May 2012 to find out the cause of death. They did not preserve the body nor did they register a murder or Accidental Death Report as is mandatory . In this scenario, it could be challenging for the police to prove Sheena was murdered, sources said.

Rai, who was arrested last week n a case of illegal possession of a weapon, broke down during interrogation and told the police Indrani and her second husband Sanjeev Khanna strangulated Sheena while he kept watch outside the car in Bandra. The next day he drove them to Raigad and helped burn the corpse with petrol and dump it in the ravines. He said he acted on Indrani's instructions and received monetary benefits.

Asked if Rai would be turned approver, an officer said: “It is too early o say anything, but yes, we have kept hat option open and will legally examine whether he will be helpful to he investigation.'' Rai's admission ties in with another important piece of evidence: the mobile call detail reports (CDR) of Sheena, Indrani, Rai and Khanna. The ocation in the reports confirmed Indrani, Rai and Khanna were at Land's End on April 24 and then trav elled together to Raigad the next day.

On Thursday , Maria, with joint commissioner Deven Bharti, deputy commissioner (zone 7) Satyanarayan Choudhary interrogated Rai and Indrani together. They also supervised the teams that had gone to Guwhati and Kolkata, spending over 10 hours in Khar police station. Sheena's sibling Michail Bora and their grandparents' statements have been recorded. Khanna was brought from Kolkata to the city on Thursday night.

Based on interrogation details, police said Khanna brought sedatives from Kolkata which were mixed in water and Sheena was forced to drink it after she was pulled into the car near National College in Bandra on April 24. Once she passed out, she was strangulated by Indrani and Khanna. Then they drove to the Mukerjeas' family home in Worli and parked in the garage. Peter Mukerjea is believed to have been on holiday at that time. Next day , Indrani and her accomplices got a suitcase and stuffed Sheena's body into it along with old clothes and drove off for Raigad.In a secluded place, they burnt the suitcase with the body inside and dumped it into a ravine. It is emerging that Maria was tipped off about the murder two months ago and posted inspector Dinesh Kadam at Khar police station.

Sharda, Rai's wife, told reporters her husband was innocent. “My husband is scared of darkness. He never speaks to women. It's not possible he could have killed a woman,“ she said, adding that Rai used to work as an auto driver before joining Indrani's employment. The couple, who married in 2007, have an eight-year-old daughter and three-month-old son.

Mystery caller from Meerut stumps cops