Indrani using media, misleading court: Peter Mukherjea
Former Media Baron Peter Mukerjea, an accused in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case on Monday told the court that his wife and Key accused, Indrani Mukherjea, was trying to mislead the court and creating adverse publicity.
Shivde told the court that the application did not connect with the prayer of Indrani who had sought call data records (CDR) of Peter. "She is using the media and misleading the court", Shivde told the court, adding that she was creating media publicity for creating a "wrong perception" by portraying herself as a victim. Shivde argued that if Indrani had a strong reason to believe it (that Peter has any role in Sheena's disappearance), she should have said it to the police during investigation.
Peter's
lawyer
argued
that
there
was
no
basis
for
these
allegations
other
than
getting
media
publicity.
He
added
that
there
was
a
systematic
attempt
to
create
prejudice.
"Indrani
is
creating
an
atmosphere
which
will
prejudice
the
trial
by
making
allegations
against
witness
(Indrani's
former
driver
Shyam
Rai
who
turned
approver)
and
accused
(Peter).
It
is
contradictory
to
the
prosecution's
case,
we
will
prove
that
during
the
trial,"
Shivde
said.
"She
is
drawing
a
further
strategy
to
distort
the
trial,"
he
said
and
added
that
the
application
moved
by
Indrani
was
exculpatory
i.e.
evidence
favourable
to
the
defendant
in
a
criminal
trial
that
exonerates
or
tends
to
exonerate
the
defendant
of
guilt.
Shivde argued that the court may reject Indrani's application and ask her lawyers to file a proper application by providing the ground. Special CBi judge J C Jagdale will hear the arguments of Indrani and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tomorrow. On November 15, Indrani had filed a plea in the court, saying her husband Peter Mukherjea might have caused her daughter's disappearance out of "greed and ill-will".
Though
she
did
not
expressly
accuse
Peter
of
killing
Sheena,
Indrani
said
he
and
their
former
driver
Shyamwar
Rai
could
be
behind
her
daughter's
abduction,
making
her
untraceable
and
destroying
evidence.
She
had
said
that
she
believed
Peter
and
others
might
have
"manipulated
the
circumstances
to
frame
her,
and
influence
witnesses,
situations
and
information
that
led
to
her
arrest
for
the
heinous
crime
that
they
may
have
committed,
aided
and
abetted".
She had prayed for the CDR of Peter for the period between January, 2012 and December, 2012, and from January, 2015 to December, 2015. While Peter had told the court that the application filed by Indrani was with an "ulterior motive", the CBI also admitted that she filed the application with malafide intention. The alleged murder of Sheena Bora came to light in August, 2015 after Rai, arrested in another case, spilled the beans. Mumbai Police arrested Indrani, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and Rai in the case.
Later, Peter was also arrested. The victim was Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship. Sheena was in a relationship with Peter's son.
PTI